Just one day after Target launched an early and expanded back-to-school promotion and Walmart has matched its rival’s offer with a student-linked sales campaign of its own.
In a blog post written Thursday (July 7) by the head of Walmart’s U.S. hardlines business, the retailer presented shoppers with a 6-point check list and a wide-ranging array of products including traditional school supplies, such as backpacks and pencils, as well as electronics, apparel, footwear and home furnishings — all with a bias towards value that reflects the current economic climate.
“I know first-hand that back-to-school shopping should be fun and affordable, and Walmart is here to make sure our customers won’t have to choose between what they want and what they need,” said Julie Barber, senior vice president, Hardlines, Walmart U.S.
“Families are focused on budget-conscious ways to stock up earlier than ever,” Barber wrote. “In fact, parents’ top priorities when shopping this year are making sure their kids are happy with what they purchase and [that they’re] being as efficient as they can with their budget,” she added, citing recent independent research to support the claims.
Mix ’n Match
Clearly back-to-school shopping is one of the biggest annual buying sprees and retailers of all persuasions compete aggressively to get a slice of the spending.
To that point, Walmart’s new initiative included three major components that were included in Target’s announcement Wednesday, specifically, a curated basket of popular items priced at $1 or less, a special pitch to college students and their specific dorm room furnishing needs, as well as a focused effort that caters to the needs of teachers.
On the latter point, and in response to the growing reality that budget cuts have curtailed school district spending on supplies, Walmart has created a special online classroom hub that allows teachers to register and share a “Wish List” of supplies they’ll need in the fall.
In addition, the operator of 4,700 physical retail stores in the U.S. is also aggressively pushing the speed and convenience theme via its Walmart+ service, as well as an increased portfolio of seasonal products it has made available for curbside pickup, same-day delivery or free two-day shipping this year.
But Still No Word on Prime Day
As much as Walmart delivered a rapid back-to-school response to Target, it has yet to make any sort of similar announcement or promotion that coincides with next week’s annual Amazon Prime Day event on Jul 11 and 12.
It’s an omission that is not only unprecedented in recent years by the Arkansas-based retail giant, but one that has also stoked curiosity as to why Walmart would chose to pass up on Prime Day at a time when it and other retailers are looking to reduce inventories while increasingly cash-strapped consumers are scouring stores and the web for money-saving deals.
While Walmart did not respond to a request for comment concerning its lack of Prime Day promotion this year, it is clear that the brand that touts everyday low prices is still very much in the discounting game — but appears to have chosen to do so on its own terms, at least as far as head-to-head sales against Amazon are concerned. In addition, the Walmart+ Weekend was held two weeks ago, a move that in some sense served as a way to front-run Amazon Prime Day and cut into their lead.
To that point, while in past years Walmart had run a concurrent Deals for Days sale alongside Prime Day, this year Walmart’s website directs bargain-hunting customers to 8 different “featured shops”, such as Back to School or Best Sellers, as well as four different links to savings, including Deals, Flash Picks, Rollbacks and Clearance.
“From supplies and gear to first-day fashion and tech, Walmart is making it more affordable, easy and convenient than ever to shop for everything families need and want this school year,” the retailer’s latest blog concluded.
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