On Wednesday, Walmart announced a new store layout and layout that will roll out in the coming months with a look clearly inspired by competition from Amazon and the effects of the pandemic on large purchases.
The new design, which will hit 200 of Walmart’s 4,500 U.S. stores in the coming months and another 800 next year, relies heavily on technology aimed at helping customers complete their shopping journey. as fast as they want, a huge concern during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
That includes, in particular, labeling aisles with numbers and letters to help shoppers find them once the Walmart app directs them to the exact location of the items. The idea also aims to stimulate adoption of the Walmart app, cultivate the habit of using it instead of Amazon’s, and reduce shopper frustration when searching endlessly for an item. Shopping at Walmart has never been about browsing like it would at Nordstrom after all.
Regardless of whether a customer uses the app, changes to the store will be visible upon login. For example, there will be electronic information panels at the entrance that direct shoppers to the main sections of the store, very similar to the signage seen in an airport, which according to the company served as inspiration, given its size and level of exercise. .
Plus, there will be non-tech touches like big bold words like “SEAFOOD”, “BEEF” and “DAIRY” to make a section easy to see from afar. While this redesign was created before the pandemic, these touches will come in handy at a time when shoppers are making fewer trips to stores, but making larger purchases and eager to minimize the time they spend there.
The use of redesign technology goes beyond maps and directories in the Walmart app and payment options. Shoppers can also use Walmart’s Scan & Go technology that allows them to register their orders themselves – something the retailer is betting on to attract customers who want to avoid contact with others when checking out and counteract increasing use of the cashier. . . automatic by Amazon. less technology.
There are also some changes being made to the exterior of the stores in a nod to the number of shoppers who no longer even set foot inside. There will be a large blue arc visible from hundreds of meters away to mark the area where online orders can be retrieved. Walmart’s e-commerce in the US doubled last quarter in large part because shoppers were able to drive to retrieve orders in store parking lots.
The refreshing appearance of the stores highlights the importance of modernized stores even during this e-commerce boom. In 2017, Target launched a $ 7 billion program to upgrade its stores for resounding success, revitalizing a large chain that had lost its way but is now racking up record in-store and online sales. Walmart also saw a big boost a few years ago when it updated its stores, particularly with new grocery areas.
As Whiteside says, referring to shoppers, “we want your time with us to be enjoyable.” Because if not, they have many other options.
