Walmart Continues eCommerce Growth Through Multichannel Tests

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BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- With the holiday season fast approaching, Walmart is testing two new programs — "Pick Up Today" and "FedEx Site to Store" — that bring additional savings and convenience to customers by further bridging the gap between online and in-store shopping.  

"Pick Up Today" enables customers to order online and receive free same-day pickup at a local Walmart store, and will expand to nearly 800 Walmart stores in large metro areas across the U.S. later this month.  The feature allows customers to see the inventory of their local Walmart store for Electronics, Video Games and Household Appliances, and purchase those products right from home. Online orders are usually ready for pickup in about 4 hours, and orders placed after 6 p.m. are ready for pickup at 10 a.m. the next day.

Also, Walmart is expanding the pilot of its FedEx Site to Store service from Los Angeles and Boston to include additional locations in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington D.C. beginning tomorrow. The program allows customers to purchase tens of thousands of items — most of which are offered only online — and have them shipped for free to a FedEx Office location through its Site to Store service, giving customers who don't live near a Walmart store access to Walmart savings at a convenient local location.

"We know more customers begin their shopping trips online and finish in stores, and our new 'Pick Up Today' and 'FedEx Site to Store' test programs combine the ease of online shopping with the ability to conveniently retrieve the order at a physical location," said Steve Nave, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart.com. "Expanding these tests allows us to further learn from our customers and continue to bring innovations that make it easier for them to shop and save at Walmart."

To try either service, customers begin by entering their ZIP code and selecting their local store on Walmart.com. Those in participating areas will see special messaging while browsing eligible items online, and will have the option to choose the delivery method during checkout. More information is available online at www.walmart.com/pickuptoday and www.walmart.com/fedex.  

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or "Walmart," serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine's 2010 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmartnews. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE Walmart