News

Mattel, Walmart test virtual pop-up store in Canada

November 6, 2012

To help Torontonians celebrate the holiday season, Mattel and Walmart Canada have launched the first pop-up virtual toy store in Canada, providing a QR code-based shopping experience for commuters and gift-givers. Located in the PATH, Toronto's underground walkway, the virtual toy store will run for four weeks and provide the ultimate ease in shopping for the next generation of gift-givers, the companies said in a press release.

"Walmart is a top destination for innovation and for holiday shopping, especially when it comes to toys. We're thrilled to partner with Mattel to bring this exclusive out-of-store experience to our busy customers," said Cheri Anthony, Walmart's director of merchandising for toys. "It's another way we can help Canadian families create holiday magic for less."

The virtual toy store, created by Brandfire Marketing Group in conjunction with IMA Outdoor Inc., features two walls of three-dimensional toy images. Shoppers simply scan a QR code with their smartphone to purchase the hottest Mattel holiday toys from Walmart Canada, who also provides free shipping.

"As Canadians become increasingly comfortable with e-commerce, we see mobile-commerce taking off; in fact, the most recent statistics show that four out of five consumers use smartphones to shop," said Melissa Chau, Brand Manager, Mattel Canada. "As leaders at the forefront of the retail customer experience, together with Walmart we are innovating shopping for our customers this holiday season."

Read more about store design/layout.