4 Ways Walmart is Making Shopping Easier and Earning Customer Loyalty

I think we all know we make a lot of decisions. But would you guess an average of 35,000 every single day? From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we’re constantly making decisions - whether we know it or not. What to eat for lunch, how much to allocate to a certain budget and who will pick up the kids from school – there always seems to be something that must be decided.

Maybe people, myself included, are tired. The current season of decision fatigue has meant the capacity to make simple, and everyday decisions have suffered. I think I speak for everyone: It would be fantastic if the number of daily decisions we had to make went down.

Decisions I make as a customer can often manifest as pain points. Why must I decide if I want an item delivered to my home, the store, or shipped to my house later on? Creating a simpler experience, rather than giving more options, can be the answer. Making life simple is something we strive to do day-in day-out. Here are a few ways we’re reducing the cognitive load for our customers.?

1. We leverage technology to make intelligent recommendations for customers. In this new omnichannel shopping environment, we know we should fit customers’ needs, not the other way around. For customers who shop with us online, our teams have built an AI-based feature that uses historical and real-time shopping data to predict when items might be out of stock and helps our customers get the substitution they prefer. The last thing someone wants to think about is what brand of pickles to get when your favorite is out of stock.
2. We’re obsessed with understanding how our customers are shopping and how we can better serve them in the future. For the busy mom who runs to the store to pick up a cake from the bakery, she’ll find the birthday candles near the bakery. Simple but time-saving. You can only anticipate customers' needs if you "walk an aisle in their shoes." Retailers must anticipate a customer’s needs. See, we’re already down to 30,000 decisions for the day, right??
3. We’ve created a physical and digital experience to make complex tasks more manageable. Using?Walmart.com?or the Walmart app, customers can search for tires that match the year, make and model of their vehicle and book an appointment to get them installed - all from the comfort of their home. For customers who prefer the help of an Auto Care Center expert, we’ve also launched a new interactive shopping experience on Walmart.com called?Walmart Tire Finder. The digital experience also allows them to track service status and will be notified when complete.
4. We are creating new and fun experiences to engage with customers of every generation. A college student scrolling through her social media feed might stop at a Tasty cooking video. As she watches, she remembers her parents are visiting tomorrow, and the refrigerator is empty. With the click of a button, all the ingredients are added to her cart. Crisis averted, dinner is solved, and she can already hear her mum tell her how delicious the food is.

When we help simplify life and solve problems for our customers, they will keep coming back for more. We are maniacally focused on understanding our customers’ needs. Whether that’s having their groceries and medication delivered to their doorstep with Walmart+, building a budget with a Financial Services expert, or getting a vaccine to live better. They can count on us for a fast and simple solution that will make life and decision making easier.

Thank you for deciding to read this. As for the other 29,000 you need to make today. You got this. We can help.