Walmart Doubles Down on Convenience, Value and Experience to Serve Customers This Holiday Season

Rhea-AI Summary

Walmart is enhancing its holiday shopping experience by introducing extended return policies, new return options, and significant price investments for deeper savings. Customers can enjoy a 'Holiday Guarantee' for returns until January 31, 2023, curbside returns, and home pickup for Walmart+ members. The retailer is also expanding its product assortment, including a notable increase in toy inventory and exclusive brands. With over 40,000 seasonal hires, Walmart aims to ensure strong supply chains and in-stock levels during this busy season.

Positive

• Significant price investments to offer deeper savings during the holiday season.
• Introduction of 'Holiday Guarantee' allowing returns until January 31, 2023.
• Expanded product assortment, including 1,400 new toys and increased electronics inventory.
• Hiring of over 40,000 additional associates to support operations.

Negative

• None.

Retailer announces easier, “no concerns” returns options including extended return window, curbside returns and Walmart+ return pickup from home

Offering more deals, more top gifts and even more convenience to deliver an exceptional holiday shopping experience all season long

BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Walmart is ready to serve its customers this holiday season, offering better value and more convenience than ever as customers start their holiday shopping. More than half of Walmart customers will start their holiday shopping research in Octoberⁱ and Walmart is prepared to meet their needs and help them make the most of the season with an exceptional experience no matter how, when or where they want to shop.

Walmart Doubles Down on Convenience, Value and Experience to Serve Customers This Holiday Season. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Today, the retailer is announcing price investments for even deeper savings, three new and expanded returns options, a broader assortment with more top gifts, a new community giving platform and an enhanced omnichannel shopping experience to deliver for its customers all season long.

“Saving our customers time and money is in our DNA, and I am proud of how we’ve innovated to offer exactly what our customers need this holiday – deeper savings across a broader assortment of gifts with a seamless omnichannel shopping experience,” said Tom Ward, Executive Vice President and Chief eCommerce Officer, Walmart U.S. “We listened to our customers, and the way we’re approaching holiday this year underscores our commitment to making holiday shopping easier, affordable and more enjoyable.”

Price Investments to Deliver Even Deeper Savings All Season Long

More than 80% of customers who plan to shop at Walmart this holiday season are doing so because of Walmart’s low pricesⁱⁱ. And this year, families are counting on Walmart more than ever. Customers trust Walmart to consistently offer low prices, every day, and they can expect incredible prices on gifts and for their everyday shopping needs – both in stores and online – throughout the season.

Walmart is making significant price investments in key categories to ensure it can deliver amazing value for its customers during a time when they need it most. In addition, Walmart will offer thousands more Rollbacks this holiday to provide even deeper savings on the hottest gifts, including toys, home, electronics, beauty and more.

New and Expanded “No Concerns” Returns Options

Walmart is making the returns experience easier and more convenient with three new and expanded options that save customers time during the busiest season of the year and give them extra peace of mind when shopping for gifts. Starting in October, Walmart customers and Walmart+ members can take advantage of seamless new returns options, including:

• Holiday Guarantee: Customers are shopping earlier, and now Walmart guarantees they won’t have to worry about short return windows with the newly extended holiday return policy for purchases, including electronics and Marketplace items. Eligible purchases made on or after October 1 can be returned through January 31, 2023.
• Curbside Returns: Walmart knows time is precious to its customers, and curbside returns allows customers to return items from the comfort of their vehicles while they’re picking up their weekly essentials.
• Return Pickup from Home for Walmart+ members: Beginning during the busiest time of year, Walmart will offer Walmart+ members in select stores the option of returns picked up right from their doorstep, taking one more thing off their holiday ‘to-do’ list. When initiating an eligible return on the app, Walmart+ members will be able to schedule a return from the comfort of their home and complete the process without having to leave their doorstep. Members won’t need to provide a box or a label – simply hand off the return to one of our delivery drivers, and Walmart will handle the rest.

The ‘Holiday Guarantee’ is available to all Walmart customers across the U.S. starting October 1. Curbside returns and Return Pickup from Home options will launch in select stores the first week of October and will continue to expand to more stores in the coming months. In addition to these new services, customers can still enjoy all the existing ways to return items to Walmart, including in stores and by mail.

Increased Assortment of Must-Have Gifts from Top Brands

Walmart has expanded its assortment of holiday gifts this season with more items, more new brands and more Walmart-exclusives. The retailer invested in key gifting categories to increase inventory for highly-sought-after electronics like TVs, tablets, wireless headphones, wireless phones and watches, as well as home goods including appliances, robotic vacuums and furniture and décor.

And as the destination for the best toys this holiday season, Walmart has increased its toy assortment with 1,400 new toys, including over 500 Walmart-exclusives, and a new, expanded assortment of popular ride-ons and collector segments for Star Wars, Barbie and Transformers. The retailer also recently announced its Top Toys List featuring 55 must-have toys from LEGO, Cocomelon, Jurassic World, Paw Patrol, L.O.L. Surprise, Magic Mixies and more. To help families check off their kids’ wish lists this year, more than half the toys on Walmart’s Top Toy List are under $50 – with many under $25 – and nearly all of the toys are available to shop now or via pre-order on walmart.com.

Customers can also find exciting new brands on walmart.com and Walmart Marketplace all season. For customers looking for the best online deals right now, they can visit Walmart’s recently added Flash Picks, which includes some of the hottest, limited-time only deals available on walmart.com.

Enabling Customers to Spark Good Through Holiday Shopping

Walmart is introducing Spark Good, a new way of giving designed to spark collective action – and big impact – in support of communities nationwide. Spark Good answers the call from customers to offer more opportunities to direct their own giving to the causes they care most about, and it brings a robust suite of giving resources to one convenient location on Walmart.com, providing easy access to programs and tools for nonprofits – just in time for the holiday season.

Two exciting programs, Round Up and Registry make it easier to tailor giving:

• Spark Good Round-Up: Allows customers to round up their purchase total and donate their change to the charity of their choice at checkout on Walmart.com and Walmart app year-round. It’s easy to use and customizable. Whereas most round up programs enable customers to give to a pre-determined nonprofit partner, Spark Good Round Up puts the customer in the driver seat.
• Spark Good Registry: Just like a baby or wedding registry, nonprofits can create and manage registries for products they want and need making it easier for customers to ensure their giving supports areas that will make the greatest impact. Nonprofits can now send charitable receipts and thank their donors all through Spark Good.

An impact dashboard will allow customers to see how Walmart and others in their community are supporting their favorite charities. Visit Walmart.com/SparkGood to register and learn more about all of the giving resources offered through Spark Good.

More Convenient Omnichannel Shopping Experience

Walmart offers a suite of pickup and delivery options and best-in-class omnichannel shopping services as the retailer continues to deliver on its goal to offer customers a simple, convenient and flexible experience that makes holiday shopping easier. Walmart makes it a breeze to find all the gifts on customers’ list with a seamless experience that includes:

• Enhanced Walmart.com Site Experience: Listening to customer feedback, Walmart has streamlined its site experience to make it faster, more engaging and personalized for its customers. The enhancements simplify holiday shopping with an easy-to-navigate user experience that highlights all the best deals in one place, saving customers time.
• Shopping Made Personal: The retailer also recently launched a series of new, personalized site experiences like virtual try-on and "View In Your Home," so customers can see if an item works for them before checking it off their gift list.
• Refreshed Holiday Wish Lists and Registry Suite: It’s now easier than ever to create and manage registries and wish lists for life’s big moments. Recently, Walmart began rolling out a new ‘Scan to Add’ feature to customers, allowing them to scan items in store using the Walmart app to add directly to a registry, making it seamless whether shopping online or in store.
• Fast and Easy Pickup and Delivery Services: Walmart offers several easy, convenient ways for customers to find the gifts on their lists, whether they prefer to shop in store, on Walmart.com or on the Walmart app, including pickup and delivery for more than 240,000 items this year, Express Delivery delivered within two hours and Free NextDay or Two-Day Delivery on online orders.

Strong Supply Chain Ready to Deliver This Holiday Season

Walmart has been preparing for months to deliver through the holidays, and the company has taken steps to ensure it has the products customers want however they choose to shop. Walmart is working closely with partners at every stage of the supply chain to ensure a seamless flow of merchandise. And Walmart’s recent investments in automation will enable the company to flow products faster through its distribution and fulfillment network, as well as improve the experience in stores for associates serving customers.

Delivering on the holidays wouldn’t be possible without Walmart associates, and the company continues to make investments in associates whether they are working in distribution and fulfillment centers or in stores. This includes hiring over a thousand drivers in Walmart’s private fleet as part of the 40,000 additional associates in a variety of seasonal and full-time roles Walmart plans to hire throughout the holidays. All of these efforts have contributed strong in-stock levels, which means customers can feel confident that Walmart will have the gifts they want most this season in-stock and delivered when they need them.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting https://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at https://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/walmart.

ⁱ Walmart First-party Data, March 2022, Walmart Customer Spark Community, Provided by Walmart Luminate (Walmart Holiday Insights)

ⁱⁱ Walmart First-party Data, March, April, May 2022, Walmart Customer Spark Community, Provided by Walmart Luminate (Walmart Holiday Insights)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220921005928/en/

Walmart Media Relations

news.walmart.com/reporter

Source: Walmart Inc.

FAQ

What are Walmart's new holiday return policies for 2022?

Walmart has introduced extended return options, including a 'Holiday Guarantee' allowing returns until January 31, 2023, curbside returns, and home pickup for Walmart+ members.

How is Walmart preparing for the 2022 holiday shopping season?

Walmart is making significant price investments, expanding its product assortment, and hiring over 40,000 seasonal associates to enhance customer service and ensure product availability.

What new shopping experiences is Walmart offering this holiday season?

Walmart is enhancing its omnichannel shopping experience with improved website functionality, personalized shopping features, and more pickup and delivery options.

What products can customers expect from Walmart during the holiday season?

Customers can expect a broader assortment, including more than 1,400 new toys, as well as increased inventory of electronics and home goods.

Which initiatives is Walmart launching to enhance customer giving during the holidays?

Walmart is introducing the 'Spark Good' platform, allowing customers to round up purchases for charity and create registries for nonprofits.