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Wal-Mart Stores Inc., an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of discount department stores and warehouse stores, revealed details about its mobile businesses and projects at its 22 Annual Investor Meeting last week. The main takeaway: mobile fosters a more loyal, connected shopper, improves store shopping and serves as a gateway to get store shoppers to shop online.
Mobile Apps Bring Retail Operations to a Whole New Level
Neil Ashe, Wal-Mart Stores president and CEO, said on the Wal-Mart Shareholders Meeting, “We are integrating digital retail and physical retail to create one seamless, customer-driven Wal-Mart experience. This is providing our shoppers with more value, more time, and greater access”. Wal-Mart noted that many of its customers use mobile devices in-store. Ashe added that the mobile app is an entry point for forming a digital relationship with store shoppers. Using mobile in store prompts customers to connect with Wal-Mart in a deeper and more engaged way and to shop both in store and online. In fact, 24 million consumers use the Wal-Mart mobile app each month, and the app ranks among the top three retail apps.
For example, consumers can use the Wal-Mart app to snap a picture of a prescription label for refill. With the Saving Catcher feature, a shopper can scan his store receipt with his smartphone, and Wal-Mart will search among local competitors for lower prices on the same goods. If it finds a competitor has a lower price, Wal-Mart will refund the difference on a gift card. There are many other unique and useful features, comma and the major benefit of Wal-Mart using the mobile app to improve in-store shopping is that it can change the app on the fly, add new features and test out initiatives without having to make changes to the store.
Employees Also Need Mobility
The store employees also have been equipped with mobile devices. “The devices provide real-time access to information key to store performance and have moved associates and managers from the back room to the sales floor where they are now serving customers,” said Greg Foran, Wal-Mart Stores president and CEO, Walmart US.
Wal-Mart understands that retail has changed and will continue to evolve influenced by new trends. Today, mobile solutions are the hottest trend, and Wal-Mart development in this direction is a huge success for both the Wal-Mart itself and its customers.
