4 Big Changes Walmart Is Making Now for Shoppers
Walmart has been shaking things up this summer—expanding its drone delivery services, rolling out merch trucks, and even landing a new partnership with Major League Soccer. Now, a spate of new announcements is making it clear that the company is far from done growing, innovating, and helping customers save. By keeping up-to-date with the retailer’s latest changes, you’ll be able to make the most of your spending. Read on to learn the four biggest changes Walmart is making right now, so you never miss a deal or perk.
RELATED: 3 Major Changes Amazon Is Making to Your Online Orders.
1
Walmart is introducing next-day shipping to select cities.
In a bid to compete with Amazon and other e-commerce platforms, Walmart announced that it plans to introduce next-day delivery services in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major metropolitan areas, Bloomberg reports.
The change involves partnering with more third-party sellers through Walmart Marketplace to fulfill orders on popular products using Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS). Customers can expect improved delivery speed as more cities adopt the system.
2
Walmart is adding a new streaming perk.
As of September 15, Walmart members can also take advantage of a new streaming perk at no extra cost.
In celebration of its fifth anniversary, Walmart+ will soon allow customers to choose between ad-supported Peacock and Paramount+ plans, the latter of which has been on offer since 2022. Members can switch their service of choice every 90 days. A news release says this new offering will further enhance “the value and flexibility” of membership.
RELATED: 7 Ways Costco Tricks You Into Spending More Money.
3
Walmart is embracing AI.
Walmart will embrace artificial intelligence as a means of keeping costs down for customers amid inflation.
At its recent Retail Rewired innovation event, the company rolled out four “super agents” designed to “save time and effort for both workers and shoppers,” CNBC reports. Tailored to meet the varying needs of sellers, suppliers, and shoppers, they unveiled four main agents with an “Associate Agent” to streamline the experience.
Additionally, Walmart will now use spatial AI technology, which allows machines to perceive and interact with three-dimensional environments (you know, the real world). A new Digital Twin System—essentially a computerized copy of physical retail environments—will now help Walmart recognize maintenance and management problems weeks sooner.
4
Walmart is offering employees a discount on groceries.
Sometimes Walmart shoppers are also Walmart staff—which is why the company is now offering a 10 percent employee discount on groceries. A previous policy covered general merchandise as well as fresh produce, so the change marks an expansion of the retention scheme.
Effective immediately, this will cut costs for Walmart’s 1.6 million U.S. employees after their first 90 days of working with the company. Thanks to the expansion, 95 percent of regularly priced items at the store will now be eligible for the discount.