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Walmart To Go – Will it Stay?

May 6, 2011 by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

For all of those consumers who would never go to Walmart, the hyperchain has found a way to come to you.The world's largest retailer is testing a home-delivery concept, called Walmart To Go, in San Jose, Calif. With this service, Walmart may bridge one of the toughest obstacles a low-priced, over-lit, gigantic store could face: getting people who would not be caught dead in its aisles to shop there.

After all, there is a benefit to ordering paper towels, detergent, cereal and a fifth of vodka at 11 p.m. and having it all arrive the next morning — that is, if the delivery price is low. According to the New York Times, delivery starts at $5. And no — tips are not accepted.

Being in the testing stages, Walmart To Go is a bit young to deliver solid results. But I am more interested in whether it will build loyalty, especially among non-Walmart customers.

Traditional supermarket chains should be hard at work devising new ways to maintain the loyalty of their own shoppers, by offering richer and easier in-store experiences, good prices and great products. This means regularly creating new in-store experiences, from cooking classes to wine tastings. It also means keeping the selection fresh and relevant, and the staff helpful and knowledgeable.

It doesn't sound hard, but when you're earning 2 cents on every dollar of sales, every bruised banana, every employee hour and every broken bottle matters. Fortunately, supermarket chains have become quite adept at anticipating and serving our needs.

Let's hope Walmart To Go raises the bar for everyone, so that the shoppers benefit whether they stay at home, or go.

About Lisa Biank Fasig

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