For the first time, Walmart has added digital barcodes to its printed holiday toy catalog letting consumers browse and shop toys on the Walmart app. Customers with iOS and Android devices can use their phones to utilize the scan-and-shop feature to purchase toys including 150 exclusives straight from the catalog.
Walmart’s digital twist on holiday marketing is being promoted in 35 million printed catalogs available in Walmart’s 4,800 US stores. Millions of catalogs are also being sent to customers’ homes and major omnichannel toy resellers in the US.
The scannable catalog is part of Walmart’s major tech-enabled holiday initiative. New holiday shopping features include an online gift finder that yields personalized recommendations based on criteria, the ability to check out with an associate anywhere in the store and expanded abilities to place online orders from the store with an associate’s help.
In addition to offering consumers simplified shopping experiences, Walmart is ramping up in-store experiential events throughout the holiday season. The retailer will host themed events centered on the year’s film releases including Pokémon, Star Wars and Frozen 2.
Last year, ahead of Black Friday, Walmart introduced to its app a store map feature that’s created uniquely for each store. The map allows customers to easily find an item’s exact location using new in-store signage that helps customers orient themselves. Also new to its holiday initiative last year was a redesigned website and the option of free two-day shipping without a membership fee.
Walmart’s quarterly earnings topped estimates, thanks to strength in the US, however, sales fell slightly short of estimates. A strong grocery business led to an increase in the retailer’s online sales by 41 percent in the third quarter.
