Those old Walmart uniforms must be looking pretty good about now. After facing a massive backlash when the news broke that cash-strapped employees were asked to purchase clothing to meet Walmart’s new dress code, now the one piece of clothing that Walmart provided employees for free is causing controversy.
Gawker posted the label of Walmart’s new blue vest, showing that it was made in Jordan, not the US. Walmart had recently pledged to spend an additional $250 billion on American-made products over the next decade, CNBC reports. A Walmart spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that the photo is accurate and the vests were made in Jordan. Walmart’s executive vice president of consumables and US manufacturing Michelle Gloeckler told CNBC that Walmart couldn’t find a US manufacturer who could make 1.4 million vests in time for their deadline. “The sheer number of vests that we ordered for our associates is the reason that we utilized a current apparel supplier in that location. Our intent is to replenish the vests as needed through a U.S. supplier,” she said.
