Wal-Mart Eyeing Expansion Of Fresh Food Operations, Report Suggests

According to a report by Fortune, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. WMT is looking to create hundreds of new management positions for its fresh food sections at U.S. stores.

Fortune, citing "people familiar with the matter," noted that Wal-Mart has already hired 30 field managers to oversee its fresh section with hundreds more to be hired over the coming years. The managers will be tasked with training workers and implementing initiatives to improve the fresh food offerings in store. Each manager will be tasked with overseeing the fresh operations at 10 stores each.

Fortune added that Wal-Mart's plans were disclosed at a private meeting with its suppliers.

Finally, a Wal-Mart spokesperson confirmed that the company is in the process of hiring managers "to help ensure quality and consistency in our fresh operations" but declined to comment on the total number of people that will be hired.

Shares of Wal-Mart were trading lower by around 5 percent Thursday morning after the company reported its fourth quarter results.