Walmart

What is Walmart

Walmart is a global retail company that runs a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, the company is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. The main goal of Walmart is to offer a wide range of products at low prices, following its slogan, "Save Money. Live better." Besides its physical stores, Walmart operates a large e-commerce website, Walmart.com, and a mobile app. These platforms allow customers to shop for millions of items, from fresh groceries and clothing to electronics and furniture, either for home delivery or for pickup at a local store.

Walmart Features

Walmart offers many features designed to make shopping convenient and affordable for its customers.

• Every Day Low Prices (EDLP): Walmart's core strategy is to offer consistently low prices on products across all categories, instead of relying on frequent sales events.
• Vast Product Selection: Customers can find almost anything they need, including groceries, household goods, electronics, apparel, pharmacy items, and auto parts, all in one place.
• Walmart+ Subscription: This is a paid membership program. It gives members benefits like unlimited free delivery from their store, free shipping with no order minimum on items from Walmart.com, savings on fuel at participating gas stations, and access to mobile scan & go for a quick checkout in stores.
• Online Shopping with Pickup & Delivery: Customers can order items online at Walmart.com or through the app. They can choose to have their orders delivered to their home or schedule a free pickup at a nearby store, where an employee will load the items into their car.
• Walmart App: The mobile app allows users to shop, create shopping lists, check prices, use Walmart Pay for contactless checkout, and access Walmart+ benefits.
• Financial Services: In many stores, Walmart offers services like check cashing, money transfers, bill payments, and branded credit cards.
• Pharmacy and Health Services: Walmart has full-service pharmacies for prescription refills and over-the-counter medications. Some locations also have vision centers and health clinics.

Walmart Pricing Plans

Shopping at Walmart, either in-store or online, is free for everyone. However, Walmart offers a premium subscription service called Walmart+ to enhance the shopping experience. This membership is available in two payment options: a recurring monthly plan or a discounted annual plan. The Walmart+ plan is for frequent shoppers who want to save time and money on deliveries and shipping. It includes benefits not available to regular customers, such as unlimited free delivery and fuel discounts.

Walmart Free Plan

There is no cost to be a standard Walmart customer. You can shop on Walmart.com, use the Walmart app, or visit physical stores without any membership fee. For its paid subscription, Walmart+, the company offers a free 30-day trial. This trial gives new users full access to all Walmart+ benefits, including free delivery, free shipping with no minimum order, and fuel savings. This allows customers to experience the service before committing to a paid monthly or annual plan.

How to use Walmart

Using Walmart's online platform is a simple process. Here are the steps to get started:

1. Create an Account: Go to Walmart.com or download the Walmart app. You can sign up for a new account using your email address or sign in if you already have one.
2. Browse or Search for Products: Use the search bar to find specific items or browse through different departments like 'Grocery', 'Electronics', or 'Home'.
3. Add Items to Your Cart: When you find a product you want, click the 'Add to cart' button.
4. Choose Fulfillment Method: In your cart, you will select how you want to receive your items. The main options are Shipping to your address, Pickup from a store, or Delivery from a local store (usually for groceries and essentials).
5. Checkout: Click on the cart icon and proceed to checkout. You will need to enter your shipping address (if applicable) and payment information. Review your order and confirm the purchase.

After placing an order for pickup, you will receive a notification when it is ready. You then drive to the store, park in the designated pickup area, and an employee will bring your order to your car.

Pros and Cons of Walmart

Here is a balanced look at the advantages and disadvantages of shopping at Walmart.

Pros:

• Low Prices: Known for its competitive pricing on a wide variety of products.
• One-Stop Shopping: Offers a huge selection of items, from groceries to electronics, making it a convenient single stop for many needs.
• Convenient Options: Flexible pickup and delivery services save customers time.
• Walmart+ Benefits: The subscription service offers significant value for frequent shoppers through free delivery and shipping.

Cons:

• In-Store Experience: Some stores can be crowded, and finding customer assistance can sometimes be difficult.
• Product Quality: While many products offer great value, the quality of some lower-priced items, especially from third-party sellers online, can be inconsistent.
• Website Navigation: The website has a massive number of items, which can sometimes make it feel cluttered and hard to navigate.

Walmart integrations

Walmart integrates with various platforms and services to improve the customer and partner experience, though it does not have traditional software integrations for the average user.

• Ibotta and other rewards apps: Shoppers can link their Walmart account to rewards apps like Ibotta to earn cash back on qualifying purchases made in-store or online.
• Financial Institutions: Walmart's financial services and credit cards are integrated into its checkout process, offering special financing or rewards for using them.
• Walmart Connect: This is Walmart's advertising platform. It allows brands to integrate their marketing campaigns directly onto the Walmart website and app to reach shoppers.
• Social Commerce: Walmart products can often be purchased through social media platforms like TikTok and Pinterest via integrated shopping features.

Walmart Alternatives

There are several other major retailers that offer similar products and services.

• Amazon: The largest online retailer globally. Amazon's key differentiator is its Prime membership, which offers fast shipping, streaming services, and a vast third-party marketplace.
• Target: A direct competitor that focuses more on a curated shopping experience with trendy, exclusive brands in home goods and apparel. Target also offers drive-up and delivery services.
• Costco: A membership-based warehouse club. Costco's main difference is its focus on selling items in bulk at low prices, requiring a paid membership to shop.
• Kroger: A large supermarket chain that is a strong competitor in the grocery sector. Kroger differentiates itself with a robust loyalty program, digital coupons, and its own network of brands.

Walmart API

Yes, Walmart provides a suite of APIs for developers through the Walmart Developer Portal. These APIs are not for general public use but are intended for Marketplace sellers, suppliers, and advertising partners to manage their business operations on the Walmart platform.

To get API access, you must first be an approved partner, such as a registered Marketplace seller. Once approved, you can log in to the Developer Portal and create API keys (a Client ID and a Client Secret) for your applications. These keys are used to authenticate your API requests.

Here is a conceptual example of a developer API call using cURL to get item details:

curl --location --request GET 'https://marketplace.walmartapis.com/v3/items/YOUR_SKU_HERE' \
--header 'WM_SEC.ACCESS_TOKEN: YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN' \
--header 'WM_QOS.CORRELATION_ID: UNIQUE_GUID' \
--header 'WM_SVC.NAME: WalmartMarketplace' \
--header 'Accept: application/json'

This code would request information about a specific product from the Walmart Marketplace API, using an access token for authentication.

Walmart Affiliate program

Yes, Walmart has an affiliate program that allows content creators, publishers, and bloggers to earn money by promoting Walmart products. When a visitor clicks on a special affiliate link on your website or social media and makes a purchase on Walmart.com, you earn a commission.

The commission rates vary depending on the product category, typically ranging from 1% to 4% of the sale price. To join, you must apply through Walmart's affiliate program page. The application is reviewed, and if approved, you get access to affiliate links, banners, and other marketing materials. Payments are usually managed and sent out by the affiliate network that partners with Walmart, once you reach a certain payment threshold.