Walmart Just Launched a Revolutionary Way To Buy Groceries

From unveiling its first interactive store to expanding its drone delivery service, Walmart has never been one to shy away from shaking up the shopping experience. And now, America's largest retailer is allowing customers to make purchases in another new way that doesn't even involve leaving the couch: using their TV.

Through a "first-of-its-kind partnership" with streaming platform Roku, Walmart will enable shoppers to buy featured products directly from their screen through "shoppable ads." According to a press release, this collaboration aims to change the way people shop and interact with TV and video content by going "beyond the QR code."

When a viewer sees an ad for an item that they're interested in while they're streaming content, they can use their Roku remote to click "OK" on the ad. This will take them straight to checkout, where their payment details are pre-populated by Roku's payment platform, Roku Pay. Then, the viewer can select "OK" on the Walmart checkout page, which will place the order. Walmart will send a confirmation email, along with shipping, return, and support information.

walmart x roku shoppable ad — Courtesy of Roku

According to reporting from TechCrunch, the shoppable ads will make their debut on The Roku Channel's video-on-demand content and will be released to other Roku channels over time. The advertising technology "will bring all the benefits of streaming TV advertising—targeting, optimization, and measurement—to the commerce partnership."

"We're working to connect with customers where they are already spending time, shortening the distance from discovery and inspiration to purchase," William White, the chief marketing officer at Walmart, said in the statement. "No one has cracked the code around video shoppability. By working with Roku, we're the first to market retailer to bring customers a new shoppable experience and seamless checkout on the largest screen in their homes —their TV."