Popular big box grocer, Walmart is making big changes to the brand at large. From store closures to a redesigned logo, and even the implementation of AI powered robotics at its Accelerated Pickup and Delivery centers, the retailer is trying to do it all — likely to push the brand in a new direction and make up for recent store closures and underperformance. The changes customers can find in store and online are not all flashy though, the retailer has plans to fully capitalize on the screens of TV walls and self-checkout counters, and no, this does not mean they are selling the units (although, in a sense, perhaps they are).
A big corporation sells ads — are we that surprised?
Walmart Connect, advertiser of the grocery giant, had slated plans to sell ads that will be seen on-screen in-store during the course of 2024. These ads will be of brands that are not typically found in any Walmart location and began rolling out in stores from August 1, 2024.
Now, as shoppers peruse the many aisles leading to the self checkout counter, they will be met with advertisements from various third-party entities such as restaurants, auto brands, and financial companies.
A spokesperson for Walmart Connect shared the reasoning behind this move as, “National non-endemic brands, known for their large-scale brand-building campaigns, are now recognizing the untapped potential of in-store platforms to increase brand exposure.”
The retailer offered virtual presentations to agencies to outline how these ads will be presented on the digital screens at self checkout, as well as the TV walls in store.
Each location has around twenty large TVs on which shoppers will be able to view the new advertisements. Depending on whether the company bought a 15 second or 30 second ad slot, the average ad will play between three and twelve times per hour.
The self-checkout process will now feature a smattering of ads as you scan and pay as well. The idea is that, for example, an ad for a restaurant will pop up as you checkout with hopes of drawing you in for a meal since you are already out of the house.
These ads are projected to gain the reach of shoppers in the millions.
Ad analytics
Walmart revealed that by implementing ads at self checkout counters, the ads are seen by an astounding 105 million weekly shoppers across large regions of the United States. The retailer additionally added that 2.7 million to 3.7 million of daily shoppers spanning the West and Southeast locations are guaranteed to view the running ads.
A spokesperson for Walmart further shared with The U.S Sun that “these in-store advertising opportunities will be relevant based on the customer journey, and will help brands leverage Walmart’s trusted reputation to effectively connect with a diverse and attentive audience of loyal customers while they shop.”
The retailer is following in the footsteps of its e-commerce peer, Amazon, with this implementation of ads for non-endemic brands. In 2023, the big box retailer raked in $2.3 billion from its advertiser, Walmart Connect. In the same year, competitor Amazon managed to end the year with a whopping $47 billion in advertising profits. This stark difference in profit totals is likely what opened new avenues of potential for retailer and led it to make this move.
Previously, non-endemic advertisers could not purchases in-store ads, thereby making Walmart a pioneer in this aspect.
What else is new at Walmart?
The retailer has been experimenting with its self checkout system. Shoppers noted that some locations only offered self checkout to Walmart+ members, whilst others noticed the system was closed for hours at a time so as to redirect them to cashiers.
Another big change in-store are the redesigned shopping carts. The new design features a cupholder and a phone holder, however, the cart itself is significantly taller than the previous iteration. This allegedly upset customers to the degree that they threatened to boycott the store entirely.