Aging Retail Giant Walmart Getting a Virtual Face Lift

The world’s largest company by revenue, Walmart has announced it will be unveiling a new website for consumers in the coming weeks. With the masses using the internet more and more for purchasing, Walmart has decided it’s time to step up its online presence to compete with other retailers such as Amazon and Target.

As with time, even the largest of organizations have to adapt to appeal to the masses, and Walmart is no different. Just like the slogan, “Always Low Prices” faded from use after 19 years of use for the more trendy, “Save Money, Live Better,” Walmart is at a pivotal point in its history as it turns to relying more on its web-based footprint. According to the Wall Street Journal post, Walmart executives are hedging their bets that a sleek and modern website will appeal to more expensive brands as they continue to evolve the Walmart brand. While Walmart customers I’m sure would love additional options when selecting their next TV or toaster, will the retail giant see added growth to its customer base? Time will tell. 

Other changes that are headed to the website will include the ability to repurchase items at ease, which I for one use all the time with Amazon purchases, as well as less cluttered pages, and top-selling items based on your geographic location. Walmart will also continue offering free two-day delivery and free in-store pickup. Walmart also makes a snarky comment aimed at Amazon in its release saying their free two-day delivery is available without a membership. 

As Walmart adopts a more photo-centric purchasing experience for their online audience, other retailers may also decide its time and follow suit. In the past the belief of having the content (or products) available was good enough, but thanks to companies such as Apple, Nest Thermostat, and CCR Sport, who use a balance of high resolution images and esthetics to promote their goods without overwhelming prospective customers with annoying pop-ups, low-resolution images, and hard to navigate sites. Let's all hope that as more companies continue to update their online presence they will want the same high quality imagery to promote their products. If you haven't yet, make sure to check out one of the latest Fstoppers tutorials The Hero Shot: How to Light and Composite Product Photography with Brian Rodgers Jr. For photographers interested in partnering with retailers to display their products in the most interesting and unique ways possible this tutorial will give you the tools you need. Rodgers goes in-depth on what has helped him stand out in the industry and his thought process as he works through several different product shoots. 

It will be interesting to see how the new website will appeal to customers, and if Walmart begins to see a shift in their overall purchases from in-store to online over the next few months.