US retail giant Walmart is deploying a range of technologies to improve the customer experience during the upcoming holiday season.
 
The company is introducing technologies such as Check Out With Me to give shoppers a faster checkout experience, digital store maps on the Walmart app to help customers find everything they need quickly, and a redesigned web site to make it easier to shop.
 
And more items will be available for free, two-day shipping without a membership fee.
 
“Every day we’re committed to providing customers with the broadest assortment of quality products at great prices, but, during the holidays, we take that promise up a notch,” said Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer at Walmart. “I’ve never been more excited about what we have to offer this Christmas – more items than ever before and new brands that customers will be surprised to see from us, all at the prices they expect from Walmart. And with new convenient ways to buy, we’ve never been in a better position to help our customers deliver for their families than this holiday season.”
 
To make checkout easier, starting this month Walmart is positioning sales assistants in the busiest areas of its stores, such as the garden centre, electronics or in action alley, so customers can bypass regular checkout lines and pay for everything right in the department in which they are shopping. Associates will help customers pay and go by simply swiping their credit card and providing them with a paper or electronic receipt for their purchase.
 
The Walmart app now features a store map uniquely created for each store, helping customers quickly and easily find everything from toys to everyday essentials. Just open the app in store or at home, search for the item, and the map will show the item’s exact location and new in-store signage will help shoppers quickly orient themselves within the store. Store maps will be available in all stores from early this month.
 
This will be the first holiday season during which customers can shop at Walmart’s updated, more modern web site, which will help them cut through the clutter and discover what they need for the season. Curated and editorial content will make assortment more discoverable. Content will range from a deals hub, which will refresh regularly with highlighted deals of the moment, to gift guides and content such as the monthly Ellen’s List with Ellen DeGeneres. In home and fashion specifically, Walmart.com is refreshing the category shopping destinations to deliver holiday-specific experiences.
 
New for this holiday, shoppers can receive free, two-day shipping on millions of items from marketplace sellers without a membership fee. Walmart is also simplifying the returns process for marketplace items, including allowing customers to bring marketplace items to any of its 4700 stores for returns starting in mid-November.
 
“This year, we relaunched Walmart.com, delivering customers a completely new shopping experience for whatever they are shopping for, whether they are purchasing a specific item or browsing our fashion and home assortment,” said Scott Hilton, chief revenue officer for Walmart ecommerce. “The new site, combined with thousands of new brands, curated holiday solutions, and our free, two-day shipping as well as pickup offerings, will make it that much easier for customers to shop at Walmart.com this holiday season.”
 
• Walmart has turned to Arkansas-based RichContext to be the catalyst for brands to activate their digital shelf.
 
RichContext has been named by Walmart as a partner in its recently announced connected content programme. The company will continue to enrich the media space on Walmart’s web site item pages and drive user engagement and sales. Using proprietary technology, RichContext will incorporate user generated content, interactive and shoppable content, and more on Walmart.com.
 
Walmart designed the connected content programme to streamline and simplify the way suppliers find a successful content partner.
 
"The connected content partner programme is the perfect ecommerce merger of retailer, suppliers and content," said Frank Ogura, staff product manager at Walmart Labs. "The team at RichContext has been redefining rich media for brands at Walmart over the last two years. Rich media is a critical component to the shopper journey and we look forward to future innovation in this space."
 
RichContext has been focused on developing digital destinations that align to brick-and-mortar marketing activity as well as every day, premium content experiences.
 
"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Walmart in the new connected content partner programme," said Billy Courtney, co-founder and head of partnerships for RichContext. “RichContext aims to provide Walmart suppliers with the largest array of innovative options relating to rich media, user generated content and other custom digital solutions. Walmart has surpassed all other retailers when it comes to content, specifically the work being done in the rich media space. We are proud to be driving new content experiences that meet brand requirements and category nuances."