Walmart Plans to Open Hundreds of Express Stores

SHARE:

Email

Print

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

March 15, 2011

Walmart Stores Inc. plans to open hundreds of new small format Walmart Express stores, with initial development beginning in the second quarter, according to CEO Bill Simon.

Bill Simon

The company plans to test a variety of different product mixes in the 15,000-square-foot stores to find the ideal assortment, Simon said recently at a Bank of America investor conference. Walmart expects to open 40 Walmart Express stores by the end of the year, according to reports.

"We are going to be adding hundreds of these in the coming years, and maybe more, depending on how these work out," Simon said, declining to elaborate on the exact timing of the store opening and the locations of the initial stores.

This new store format is an attempt by Walmart U.S. to spark sales after posting seven consecutive quarters of declining same-store sales.

During a question and answer session, Simon revealed the company is exploring the acquisition of some small retailers to accelerate the Walmart Express roll out, particularly in urban locations where it has few stores.

"Pick-Up Today" Expansion
Walmart also announced national expansions of its-"Pick Up Today" program that allows customers who purchase merchandise online to pick it up the same day free of charge at local stores.

The goal of the program, which will expand to 3,600 stores by June, is to increase foot traffic and create incremental sales opportunities at the brick-and-mortar locations.

“Walmart is uniquely positioned to combine the power of eCommerce with our national retail footprint to offer a leading, multi-channel experience that delivers the best savings and convenience to our customers,” said Steve Nave, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart.com. “We’ve seen strong customer response from initial tests of ‘Pick Up Today,’ and we’re pleased to expand the program to customers nationwide in the coming months.”

SBD Views: The launch of Walmart Express is one of the most eagerly awaited retailing developments in 2011. We will be watching with great interest to see what role store brands will play in the merchandise mix. As Walmart’s overall direction with store brands remains unclear following the challenges they experienced in 2010, so does the role that store brands will play at Walmart Express. -- John Failla for Store Brands Decisions

Most Read

Guest Columns

Grocery Aisle Innovation Key to Retailer and Consumer Cost Savings

Retailers are redesigning the aisle, appealing to environmentally friendly consumers and capitalizing on market trends to make their private label brands more competitive.

Source: Tetra Pak Inc.

How to Develop a Private Label Expression Aligned with Retail Brand Strategy

By creating private label as a marketing tool rather than just a price alternative, retailers gain the opportunity to tell a complete brand story while simultaneously boosting customer loyalty.

Source: CBX

Using the Store Banner to Endorse Private Label Architecture

Although the economic downturn accelerated private label growth in Europe, there was another key driver -- retailers started to brand their stores.

Source: IPLC

See All Guest Columns »

Press Releases