Provided by Walmart
This Friday, Walmart will celebrate the reopening of 117 stores across the U.S. that were previously closed to modernize some of its physical stores. The celebration, dubbed “The Second Best Day,” will be the largest single-day reopening in the company’s history.
The retail chain has invested more than $500 million in store improvements and plans to renovate more than 700 stores by the end of 2023.
Walmart US CEO John Furner said the retail chain plans to invest more than $9 billion over two years to continue upgrading its more than 1,400 stores across the United States.
“Nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart, and we know how important local stores are to our customers and communities. And with these construction investments, “Customers want what they want, when they want it,” Farner said in a statement, creating more local jobs and making it easier for employees to get jobs.
Walmart stores have improved layouts, expanded product selections and introduced technology to better support customers and make shopping more convenient. Shoppers can now pick up quick meals and drinks in the Walmart grocery aisle and learn more about products and Walmart services using QR codes and digital screens located around the store. The retail chain is also introducing a ‘Mother’s Room’, a private area where mothers can relax. Nursing their young children.
To refocus the retail chain’s commitment to transactions, the company has introduced new 100-yen shops in renovated stores. There, customers can purchase seasonal products at low prices.
The reopening and modernization of select stores is part of Walmart’s Signature Experience Program, which focuses on improving the customer experience in the company’s physical stores. Many retail chains have long focused on enhancing experiential retail, as the coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in online purchases and a decline in in-store shopping.
Other retailers have also expanded their in-store shopping experience, including luxury brand Tiffany & Co., which reopened its flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, New York, and retail brand Century 21, which reopened its flagship store on Cortland Street. We are focusing on improving. , New York City, New York. Both stores reopened as flagship stores in May of this year.
According to a study by commercial real estate firm Westfield, 81% of shoppers believe they would spend more at a retailer that offers an enriching shopping experience.
Walmart plans to continue modernizing its stores across the United States in 2024.