Walmart's coupon program in China is a good example of how retailers in that country are matching checkout to other consumer experiences.
Walmart's WeChat mini-program home page and new register coupons reach Chinese shoppers where they spend their time. Walmart WeChat mini-programs provide two primary functions: the ability to scan and pay for items in the store, and schedule next-day e-commerce delivery. The idea is that the first function gets users to check the QR codes, which could be found in stores, and encourages them to start using the WeChat mini-program and follow the official account. Simultaneously, the e-commerce function enables Walmart to upsell additional items, including those not found in stores.
Walmart's on-demand delivery service provides same-or next-day delivery to customers who shop from Walmart's WeChat mini-program. Since the mini-program launch, Walmart makes the customer shopping experience easier with seamless "Scan-to-Buy," self-service checkout and on-demand delivery via their mobile phones.
The e-commerce function of the mini-program has proven its effectiveness during the coronavirus peak. The share of WeChat Pay online transactions rose rapidly during the worst of the pandemic. The percentage increase in restaurant and retail online transactions in January 2020 was 1.79 times and 1.25 times, respectively, compared to December 2019. COVID-19 sparked growth in consumer demand for online shopping and on-demand delivery.
According to Walmart's Q1 results for fiscal year 2021, e-commerce sales surged 160%, including omnichannel growth of more than 200%. Walmart has leveraged QR codes’ capabilities to integrate online and offline channels to accelerate the entire digitization process.
Walmart demonstrates here an omnichannel strategy to achieve profitability and turn crises into opportunities in extraordinary times. As a result, the retail giant is laying the foundation of its digital capabilities in the new competitive market environment to use these changing times to gain omnichannel momentum.
