MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – Walmart Canada wants to offer customers a faster, safer and simpler shopping experience whether they choose to shop in-store, with pickup at the store or online at Walmart.ca.

The company is investing more than $110 million this year in all aspects of the omnichannel experience, including store renovations and technology. In these busy and challenging times, Walmart customers want choice and convenience more than ever.

Walmart is adapting more square footage in some stores to serve as expanded omnichannel fulfilment space for both online delivery and pickup, which will allow our associates to pick orders faster and ship them out more quickly.

Today’s omnichannel acceleration news is part of the major $3.5 billion investment into all aspects of the business.

• Hybrid locations: Piloting 10 hybrid locations – supercentres with expanded omnichannel fulfilment space within their stores to increase the speed of fulfilment for pickup and delivery.
• Renovations: More than 130 store renovations over the next few years to make new space for eCommerce, including approximately 19 this year.
• Pickup: Expanding Walmart Grocery Pickup to approximately 270 stores – or 70 per cent of locations – by the end of 2020.
• Mobile check-in: Rolling out mobile check-in across the country so customers can check-in for their grocery orders while on route, making the pickup speed quicker.
• Delivery: Reducing the minimum order value from $50 to $35 for free Grocery Pickup and Walmart Grocery Delivery ($9.97 fee).
• Hiring: Thousands of new associates are also currently being hired for omnichannel related roles to meet customer demand.
• Third-party partners: Expanding availability of third-party partners, such as Instacart and Cornershop, to be offered in more stores across the country.

Walmart’s new hybrid concept store, a relocated store in Vaughan, Ontario (670 Applewood Crescent) is now the most modern omnichannel store in the retailer’s network. In addition to serving customers’ online demands, the hybrid store will serve as an incubator to test future omnichannel features. The new store includes:

· A 10,000-square-foot omnichannel fulfilment space within the store – the largest of any Walmart in Canada.
· Will fulfil as many as eight times the online orders of an average Walmart store.
· A large drive-up pickup area, where customers can conveniently park and have their order loaded into their vehicle.
· More efficient and modern technology to support associates.

“In these busy and challenging times, we know customers want choice and convenience more than ever,” said Horacio Barbeito, president and CEO, Walmart Canada. “This is a very exciting time at Walmart Canada, as we invest in the business, accelerate our omnichannel efforts and make the shopping experience easy and simple for our customers.”

“The speed of change is being dictated by customer demand and we are deepening our investments in our digital footprint and omnichannel offering more than ever,” said Alexis Lanternier, executive vice president eCommerce, Walmart Canada.