Walmart Plans to Increase Express Store Numbers

The discount retailer also has expanded its "Pick Up Today" program.

March 14, 2011

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Walmart Stores Inc. has announced it will build more smaller-footprint stores than originally predicted, the Wall Street Journal repots. The discount retailer had conservatively said it would add 30 to 40 Walmart Expresses, but now ups that number to hundreds.

Walmart Express will be 15,000 square feet and will start to open in the next few months, mostly in urban and rural localities. The company will pilot different product mixes as it perfects the convenience-store type format.

"We are going to be adding hundreds of these in the coming years, and maybe more, depending on how these work out," said Bill Simon, CEO of Walmart. He refused to provide more details on the location or timeline of the stores.

Meanwhile, Walmart has a plan to boost in-store sales by expanding its "Pick Up Today" program that lets customers buy products online and pick up the order at a store. Walmart began testing the program in 750 stores last October, and will bring it nationwide to close to 3,600 stores by June. The program is similar to ones run by Best Buy, Nordstrom and Sears.

Retailers say bringing online and in-store inventories together results in more sales to more customers. Walmart will allow customers to pick from 40,000 products online. After placing their order, the customer receives an email or text message when the order is ready for pick-up at the store, usually in around four hours.

"Not only do we see it as a nice convenience for customers, but we also saw it as a way to drive incremental traffic to the stores, and incremental sales," said Steve Nave, Walmart.com senior vice president and general manager. "What we??ve tried to do is focus on those categories where customers are most likely to be willing to make the purchase before they touch it or look at it. This is a convenience play, and trying to figure out what are the things that are going to drive more customers into the stores."

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