Walmart tries to shed a stodgy vibe to battle digital-native rivals

“There are no cash registers in the home office.”

It’s a mantra at Walmart and a reminder that every dollar earned comes from its nearly 11,000 stores worldwide. Everything done at its corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, is an expense.

For decades that expense was minimal — the retailer’s main office was a spartan distribution center with wood-paneled offices and few windows. Most of the white-collar employees here were focused on merchandising and logistics.