Walmart to revamp e-commerce channel

Walmart.com, a subsidiary of US-based retailer Walmart, is all set to introduce a new home page in order to create a stronger bond with its customers, while reaching out to new customers. “Our endeavour is to know about every product offered in the world as well as every person in the world, and then connect the two. This is possible only by leveraging the e-commerce channel, which I believe is the next growth engine for our company,” states Neil Ashe, executive vice president of Walmart and CEO of its global e-commerce division.

“With smartphones continually driving innovations, more than half of our customers now use these devices,” adds Ashe. According to him, shoppers can now switch their Walmart app to in-store mode in over 200 Walmart stores. The app then provides store maps, in-stock information and allows people to scan items and check themselves out as they shop.

Other innovations include allowing customers to pay cash because a sizeable section of its customers are unbanked, so Walmart acknowledges the importance of giving such customers the option to order online but pay in-store. Currently about half of the merchandise ordered on the Walmart website is shipped directly to a store. Moreover, the retailer will also begin testing its in-store delivery lockers towards latter half of 2013, to make it easier for shoppers to use its “ship to store” option.