Your Local Walmart May Look Very Different Soon
Walmart's new makeover plans are underway, and shoppers are loving the new changes so far thanks to the styled furniture displays, video boards, and high-tech refrigerated sections. If you have FOMO, not to worry because the company is working on renovating even more stores right now.
Walmart recently announced plans to invest almost $55 million in 12 stores in Virginia this year with its new "interactive store" design. The newly remodeled stores will feature pick up and both delivery and Express delivery in under two hours. Additionally, shoppers will have more access to the Walmart+ membership than before. Of the stores being renovated, one is in Roanoke and another in Lynchburg.
Prior to this round of renovations, Walmart completed a revamp of a store in Albuquerque, N.M., which started construction in July of last year and was finished in April. The Albuquerque Walmart was one of the first locations to unveil the new design.
The "incubator" location for the new store design is in Springdale, Ark. has been dubbed "Time Well Spent," and was unveiled in January of this year. The name is intended to describe how it envisions its customers browsing the store. In fact, Walmart even improved its store lighting in an effort to get customers to want to spend more time there.
While locations vary slightly, the new Walmart store features bolder signage, a mobile app to help guide customers in the store, digital displays with interactive elements like QR codes, and new self-checkout kiosks. The store's layout also has a more clear-cut navigation design.
Customers are reporting the stores are easier to navigate and the large lettering on the new signage helps people find where they need to go quickly. According to Walmart, the signs were inspired by the design of an airport.
Eloy Baca, the manager of the Albuquerque Walmart, told The Albuquerque Journal she has seen customers react positively to the new store design.
"It was a little harder for them to find merchandise, based off of the old layout. This layout's a lot easier for them to shop," Baca told the publication.
Walmart has been very busy not only revamping its look at its store but its digital presence as well. The retail giant has recently collaborated with Roku to make purchases through their TVs, and it will be building four new fulfillment centers with the capability to pack and ship online orders more efficiently. The automated warehouses will allow Walmart to significantly grow its online presence and fulfill orders within a day or two—leveling the playing field with Amazon.
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