Walmart’s Media Business Gets New Name, Grows Advertising Offerings

Walmart introduced an extended purview and name for its media business, which was previously called Walmart Media Group and is now known as Walmart Connect. The retailer said the new name reflects its capacity to strengthen the link between companies and its 150 million weekly shoppers, according to a Thursday (Jan. 28) announcement.

“We’ve built a substantial business that can serve clients in a way no one else can – as a closed-loop omnichannel media company,” Walmart Chief Customer Officer Janey Whiteside said in the announcement. “By expanding our offerings, we’re creating measurable value for our partners and customers alike in our ecosystem and beyond.”

Walmart Connect works to enable partners to gain visibility in the retailer’s brick-and-mortar locations as well as its digital properties. It will leverage the retailer’s broad omnichannel presence, closed-loop system and knowledge of its shopper base to bring brands closer to their intended audience.

Walmart Connect is introducing new omnichannel functionalities that enable advertisers to reach the millions of customers who shop in Walmart’s brick-and-mortar stores weekly. Walmart is now providing media activations on TV walls inside of stores, as well as self-checkout capabilities with almost 170,000 digital screens throughout more than 4,500 retail locations.

In addition, Walmart Connect is leveraging the reach of its native digital properties, such as the firm’s mobile program, pickup and delivery, and website to provide “holistic campaigns” such as search and display media. Moreover, the business will tap into its first-party shopper data to fuel media performance for sellers beyond the retailer’s proprietary sites.

The news comes as Walmart has moved to bolster the number of retail locations that will also function as local fulfillment centers. “Our customers love the speed and convenience of pickup and delivery, and we’re committed to finding faster ways to serve them,” Tom Ward, Walmart’s senior vice president of customer product, said in a recent news release.