Walmart’s New Home Office to Get Fitness Center With Three Pools

(Bloomberg) -- Walmart Inc., which for years has managed its sprawling operations from a famously drab home office, is following through on plans to boost the amenities at its new headquarters complex. 

A fitness center will feature tennis courts, three indoor pools and a teaching kitchen, while a child-care center will be able to accommodate as many as 500 kids, Walmart said in a statement Wednesday. The Walton family, which owns about 47% of the retailer, is chipping in $225 million for the facilities and they are scheduled to open late next year. 

Walmart, the largest private-sector employer in the U.S., is upgrading its headquarters as it competes with tech giants, banks and consulting firms to entice talented employees. The Walton family has also played a key role in sprucing up the retailer's home city of Bentonville, Arkansas, with a landmark art museum, world-class bike trails and upscale bars and restaurants. 

“Providing associates with easy access to offerings that enhance health and wellbeing is an essential element of whole health,” Alice Walton, daughter of company founder Sam Walton, said in the statement.

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