With inflation pushing prices to 40-year highs, many of us are looking to save a few dollars on daily necessities. Walmart is a crucial destination for bargain hunters, offering a large variety of products at prices that won't break the bank. If you regularly head to your local store to score these deals, odds are you notice when something changes, and starting today, there's one upgrade you won't want to miss. Walmart's latest change is aimed at making your shopping experience more affordable and "even more convenient." Read on to find out what the company just announced, and how it might benefit you.
READ THIS NEXT: If You Shop at Walmart, Get Ready for This "Ultra-Convenient" Change.
Walmart is changing with the times.
ShutterstockWalmart has been taking initiative lately, announcing a slew of new changes for its app, as well as stores nationwide. This month, the retailer introduced a new augmented reality (AR) feature in the Walmart app, which allows you to see what furniture looks like in your home before you purchase it. Another tech update includes the ability to bundle your Walmart+ membership and the retailer's InHome Delivery Service, which saves you $10 in fees annually.
Also this summer, Bubble Skin Care, which is directly targeted at Gen Z consumers, launched products at 3,900 Walmart stores across the U.S. As reported by Forbes, shoppers can opt to purchase the vegan, cruelty-free, and gender-neutral Bubble products, putting them in direct competition with big names like Neutrogena, CeraVe, and Cetaphil.
Now, Walmart is introducing yet another brand for customers, which you can take advantage of starting now.
Walmart Vision Center customers will have another option.
Africa Studio / ShutterstockIf you wear glasses, you know it can be a struggle to choose the right frame for your face. You might even avoid glasses altogether and spring for contact lenses instead. There are certainly different brands to choose from when it comes to contacts—and maybe you have a favorite variety you've been using for years. Nevertheless, dedicated Walmart shoppers will be pleased to learn that they now have an additional affordable option.
On July 26, Walmart announced an exclusive partnership with the eyecare brand Waldo, which produces contact lenses. A 30-pack of the Waldo Hydra Boost Dailey Lenses retail for approximately $23.86, Walmart stated in a press release, offering potential savings between 13 and 84 percent when compared with other brands of daily disposable contacts sold at Walmart.
"We are thrilled to partner with Walmart to expand access to affordable eyecare options across the country," Ashleigh Hinde, founder and CEO at Waldo, said in the press release. "Partnering with Walmart allows us to grow our community and help foster much larger conversation around the importance of eye health and the need for accessible options for eyecare."
Walmart is the first retailer to offer Waldo products.
ShutterstockAccording to the press release, Waldo contacts are the "first-of-their-kind," and contain vitamins like B12, helping to "refresh and rejuvenate eyes." Since its founding in 2017, the company has sold its daily contact lenses online, and Walmart will now be the first and only retailer to sell Waldo lenses. According to the press release, they will be available for purchase at Walmart Vision Centers across the country, as well as online on WalmartContacts.com.
"Walmart is continuously looking for ways to bring our customers brands they already use and love to our stores, making it even more convenient to prioritize their health during their weekly shopping trips," Tabitha Watkins, Walmart's divisional merchandising manager of specialty healthcare, said in the press release. "We are so pleased to be the first retailer to carry WALDO, a brand that is delivering innovative eyecare products at a great value for our customers."
Walmart announced another upgrade to its vision centers earlier this summer.
Rike_ / iStockOn June 29, the retailer announced plans to acquire Memomi, an AR company optical tech company.
Memomi's technology offers a virtual try-on feature for eyewear, allowing customers to try on different glasses from the comfort of their own home, without sifting through pairs at physical Walmart locations. It isn't a new addition to Walmart, as Memomi has enabled digital measurements for customers at 2,800 Walmart Vision Centers and 550 Sam's Club since 2019. The AR company is also the force behind the Optical eCommerce experience available on SamsClub.com, the press release stated.
According to Walmart, the acquisition speaks to its goals of providing "integrated, omnichannel healthcare," by using data and technology, and is "the next step" in increasing access to affordable healthcare.
As reported by TechCrunch, Memomi's technology can be used for different beauty and fashion avenues, but Walmart did not comment on whether or not it has plans to leverage those capabilities. By introducing online optical care, however, Walmart now offers direct competition to brands like Warby Parker, as well as staple delivery services such as 1-800 Contacts, according to the outlet.
