Walmart Rolls Out Tire Buying eCommerce Program

Walmart has rolled out a new way for customers to buy tires, according to a company news release.

With the new system, customers will now be able to search for tires that are a match for the year, make and model of their vehicle on Walmart’s website or app, the release stated. Then they can make an appointment to get them installed at a local Walmart Auto Care Center by selecting “Pickup” at the checkout. They’ll have the option to track the service and get notifications about various steps of the process.

There will also be a way for customers to virtually interact with a Walmart Auto Care Center expert who will be able to guide them through the tire-buying process, taking into account various factors such as weather, warranty and budget process, according to the release.

“We know selecting tires can be complicated, so we’ve made the intimidating process easy,” said Walmart U.S. Vice President of Digital Services Jon Freshman in the release. “We’re giving our customers convenient digital options that bring our auto care center expertise right to their fingertips, helping them make smart decisions from anywhere. This is the latest example of Walmart removing pain points to create a simple experience that puts our customers at the center.”

As far as Walmart’s earnings, the company has seen a boost in top- and bottom-line growth, with the numbers of customers buying online and in stores up compared to the past year amid the pandemic. The retailer attributed the rise in sales to customers wanting to get out amid “pent-up demand.” The company said it anticipates these levels of demand to continue throughout 2021.

International eCommerce sales for Walmart were up by 50 percent, with online sales now accounting for more than 12 percent of the company’s earnings around the globe and an improvement of nearly 3.5 percentage points versus the same time period last year.