(Walmart)
Walmart employees’ vests are getting a makeover.
The signature blue vests that Walmart employees have worn for years will be replaced with a modern gray look with a neon blue, green or pink trim. Walmart last redesigned its uniforms in 2014.
The company announced the changes Wednesday during its annual shareholders meeting.
The new vests will be made from recycled bottles and have bigger pockets than previous vests.
The vests are “neutral steel gray,” and most associates will wear bright blue trim. Associates at Walmart’s smaller Neighborhood Market stores will wear green trim. Self-checkout hosts at Walmart Supercenters will wear yellow with gray trim. And in the future, Walmart says employees will be able to choose other colors, including pink.
“Our new vests have a modernized style that takes advantage of trim detail and screen printing to introduce color in an eye-catching way,” Walmart said in a release.
The company said the neon color will help customers more easily spot Walmart associates.
Each vest is stitched with a “proud Walmart associate” on the front and a newly colorful “spark” logo on the back.
The larger pockets will let associates “carry all the equipment they need to do their jobs on the sales floor.” Employees will receive the vests later this year for free and will be able to upgrade them with specialized designs or trims for up to $11.
The new vests come a year after the company announced a more relaxed dress code.
Workers can now wear any solid-colored shirt. Walmart added blue to the mix of approved pants colors, making blue jeans work-appropriate attire. Walmart said the response to those changes have been “amazing.”
Also, the new vests ties together Walmart’s new streamlined appearance that’s seen on its refreshed website, store remodels and name.
