Walmart’s logo got its first facelift in nearly 20 years

Walmart's new logo is pictured on the right. ((Walmart via CNN Newsource))

Walmart is giving its logo the first facelift in nearly two decades, rolling out a new identity that is a subtle nod to its past.

The 61-year-old company unveiled Monday a refresh of its brand identity featuring a redesigned logo the company says is inspired by founder Sam Walton’s old trucker hat.

Walmart’s logo now uses a chunkier font compared to its previous iteration, with the new font being inspired from a typeface the chain used from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Walmart is retaining the yellow “spark” often used with the logo; however, a darker blue has been introduced to “keep the brand fresh,” the company said. The new logo will appear on its website and app this month and over time will roll out to its 10,500 stores, which are also in the midst of getting a makeover.

“This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow,” William White, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart US, said in a statement.

Walmart last tweaked its logo in 2008, when it dropped the star used between Wal and Mart and combined the words into one. The new identity was tied with a period of slumping sales for the company amid rising competition from other big box retailers, like Target.

However, this new look arrives at a time when business is booming for Walmart. Sales at its US stores open for at least a year grew about 5% in last quarter compared with the year prior, the company said in its most recent earnings report, and its profit grew 8%.

Walmart has drawn higher-income customers by investing in its grocery business and using its massive scale to drive down prices amid a historic bout of inflation. It has also sharpened its assortment of clothing, electronics, home furnishings and other goods. In addition, it has bolstered its online operations against Amazon, with sales growing 22% in the US last quarter.