Culture Head to Head
Discover how Amazon and Walmart stack up across purpose, values, behaviors, leadership and more—revealing how their distinct cultural profiles shape employee experience and business outcomes.
Industries
Retail
Date:
Nov 2025
Timeframe:
2019 -2023
Expert:
Alastair Whiteley
Amazon.com and Walmart Inc., two of the largest retail giants globally, have transformed the way people shop and consume. Despite their shared dominance in the retail industry, their workplace cultures reveal striking differences in employee experiences and organizational priorities. This analysis examines key cultural behaviors and employee value drivers, comparing the strengths and challenges each company faces as an employer.
Culture Insights
Amazon and Walmart each exhibit unique strengths and challenges in their workplace cultures. Amazon excels in learning and development (+56.5%), pay and rewards (+51.1%), and technology in the workplace (+31.1%), reflecting its focus on innovation and employee growth. Walmart, on the other hand, performs better in work-life balance (-5.3%) and career progression (+5.7%), demonstrating a more stable work environment in certain areas.
However, both companies face challenges in agility, support, and purpose alignment, which could hinder employee satisfaction and retention. For Amazon, addressing work-life balance and career progression could complement its strengths in innovation and rewards. For Walmart, fostering empowerment, inclusivity, and improving workplace technology could position it as a more attractive employer.
By addressing these cultural gaps, both Amazon and Walmart can enhance their employee value propositions, further solidifying their status as leaders in the retail industry.
Purpose
0 %
Amazon Purpose - Amazon employees report a neutral alignment with the company’s mission compared to Walmart.
0 %
Walmart Purpose - Improving purpose alignment at Walmart could foster greater engagement and motivation among employees.
Work-life Balance
0 %
Amazon - Amazon, known for its fast-paced and high-pressure work environment scores lower for work-life balance.
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Walmart - While both companies report negative scores, Walmart employees experience a slightly better work-life balance
Empowered
0 %
Amazon - Amazon employees feel more empowered in their roles, reflecting a culture that encourages initiative and ownership.
0 %
Walmart - Walmart could benefit from fostering a similar environment to enhance employee engagement.
Download the full report
Read the full report and see how Salesforce and IBM compare across our Culture Framework.
