As Thanksgiving approaches, brands and retailers are pulling out all the stops to gobble up hesitant consumers’ inflated dollars, and Amazon and Walmart are no exception. However, this time, the two retail giants are going head-to-head, and the battleground is the digital arena.
According to a recent PYMNTS report, Amazon has collaborated with Snapchat, allowing users to buy products directly through the social media app.
Through this partnership, customers can browse and make purchases from Amazon’s Snapchat ads without having to leave the social media platform, as conveyed by an Amazon spokesperson to PYMNTS on Tuesday (Nov. 14).
“Customers in the U.S. will see real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, delivery estimates, and product details on select Amazon product ads in Snapchat as part of the new experience,” the company told PYMNTS. “In-app shopping with Amazon is available for select products advertised on Snapchat and sold by Amazon or by independent sellers in Amazon’s store.”
Read more: Amazon Extends Social Shopping Efforts With Snapchat Deal
The announcement comes on the heels of Amazon’s collaboration with Meta, which will let customers in the U.S. make purchases directly through Amazon’s Facebook and Instagram ads within the respective social media apps, an Amazon spokesperson told PYMNTS.
This marks the first-time users can complete transactions with Amazon without leaving these platforms. Real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, delivery estimates and product details will be presented to users for select Amazon product ads on Facebook and Instagram. In-app shopping with Amazon is available for products featured in ads on Facebook or Instagram, whether sold by Amazon or independent sellers within Amazon’s store.
According to a CNBC report, Meta’s choice to incorporate Amazon into its applications is driven by the company’s aim to enhance its advertising revenue.
Read also: Meta Enables Amazon Shopping Within Facebook and Instagram
Amazon also established a partnership with Pinterest in April, aiming to enrich the platform’s array of products and brands to create more shoppable content.
Read more: Pinterest Inks Deal With Amazon Ads to Fuel Shoppable Content
“Tracking the Digital Payments Takeover: Monetizing Social Media,” a PYMNTS Intelligence study done in collaboration with AWS, finds that 43% of consumers use social media for the purpose of discovering goods and services.
Walmart, for its part, is making its Black Friday deals available online and granting early access and exclusive privileges to Walmart+ subscribers, who can now browse and add deals to their lists. At the same time, however, Walmart appears to be enhancing its in-store shopping experience by incorporating a digital element.
In late October, Walmart commemorated the grand reopening of 117 renovated stores throughout the United States, representing the most extensive single-day rollout of such reopenings in its history.
This represents the most recent phase in Walmart’s ongoing investment of over $9 billion to enhance and upgrade over 1,400 stores across the country over the last two years, as noted in an Oct. 30 blog post by Walmart Realty Senior Vice President Hunter Hart.
“Every change is thoughtful,” Hart wrote. “They all ladder up to a greater goal: to meet our customers wherever they are, leveraging our stores to welcome people to a more modern, highly-connected Walmart.”
Learn more: Walmart Debuts 117 Digital-First Stores
The renovated stores feature revitalized exteriors and interiors with new paint, signage and an increased availability of shopping carts.
Internally, Walmart has extended its pharmacies and modernized its vision centers. The relocation of pharmacies to the front of the store includes the introduction of private screening rooms for pharmacist consultations and services. The vision center experience has undergone a redesign, presenting an expanded selection of designer eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Additionally, Walmart has introduced “activated corners” featuring interactive displays that enable customers to interact with various items. Large items have been unpacked from their boxes to allow customers a hands-on experience. The store has also strategically positioned digital touchpoints to offer customers additional information about various products and services.
“In today’s omnichannel world, customers still want to experience — touch, feel and try — items,” VP, Marketing, Store Design, Innovation and Experience Alvis Washington wrote in an earlier company blog post. “In this next phase of our redesign, we’re amplifying the physical, human and digital design elements in our stores to inspire customers and elevate the experience.”
See also: Walmart Debuts Interactive Store Dubbed ‘Time Well Spent’
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