Retailer seeking to become more nimble

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is streamlining its U.S. store operations in order to respond more quickly to change, according to published reports.

The consolidation will reportedly organize retailer’s domestic store operations into four divisions, down from six. As part of the restructuring, Wal-Mart will also have 36 regional managers instead of 44, a source told Reuters.

“Our last field restructure was several years ago and our business has changed over that time,” the company said in a statement. “The structure we are putting in place will help improve communication and execution, streamline decision-making and help us accelerate our pace of change.”

The move is part of a larger consolidation effort underway at Walmart. Earlier this year the retailer announced that it would would consolidate its buying operations, allowing buyers to purchase for both Walmart’s web site and its stores, in order to better compete with Amazon.com. And in July the company reorganized its food leadership teams, Reuters noted.