Walmart Overhauls Website to Take on Amazon

Walmart Inc. (WMT) is stepping up its game when it comes to taking on Amazon.com  Inc. (AMZN) in the world of e-commerce, announcing an overhaul of Walmart.com.

In a blog post penned by Marc Lore, the president and chief executive of Walmart U.S. eCommerce, the executive said the redesign is aimed at providing customers with a  more “modern digital shopping experience.”

The new website is slated to roll out in May and will not only include a new look and feel but will have increased personalization. “Our goal is to make it compelling for customers to shop for whatever they are looking for—whether diapers, laundry detergent or a new dining room table. We’re also expanding our color palette and adding fonts to bring more vibrancy and depth to the site,” wrote Lore, noting that customers will be able to view in-demand products from their location as well as find out if their local store offers some of Walmart’s newer features such as online grocery, order status and Easy Reorder. (See also: Walmart Options Traders See Stock Surging 12% Short-Term.)

Online Specialty Stores

The executive noted that the retailer is also starting to release specialty shopping experiences based on the type of product they are searching for. For instance, customers who are using the website to purchase groceries want the ability to reorder quickly while those in the market for furniture want to be inspired as they browse different items. “We’ve already launched a home specialty experience and, over the coming weeks, we will begin to introduce our new destination for fashion, which will feature relevant, bold imagery and seasonal stories,” wrote the executive. “We want each category to feel like you are shopping a specialty store, and we plan to build out these specialty experiences for other categories starting later this year.” Lore noted that more will come to the website as it continues to build a better shopping experience for its customers and stay relevant in an era where Amazon dominates pretty much all areas of retail. (See also: Health Insurance: New Front in Walmart Vs. Amazon?)

In another move aimed at taking on Amazon, the retailer announced earlier this month that it is partnering with Postmates, the on-demand delivery service to get more orders into consumers homes. Walmart said with the addition of Postmates, it will be able to reach around 40% of the U.S. households. The service will first launch in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then expand to additional cities in the coming months. Customers pay a $9.95 order fee to get same-day delivery on orders of $30 or more.