Duracell to Reimagine Battery Shopping Experience at Retail
Battery manufacturer Duracell has unveiled a retail at-shelf experience that aims to streamline the way that consumers buy batteries with an innovative centralized display and new paper-based product packaging. This fresh merchandising approach, slated to roll out in retail stores across the country, starting at Walmart early next year, is expected to boost product visibility.
Shoppers will be able to compare battery options among brands in a cleaner, more organized display placed in an easy-to-find permanent location of the store, providing a more efficient and pleasurable shopping experience, according to Duracell. Further, all battery brands will be displayed side by side so consumers can easily compare ingredients, efficacy and cost before buying.
“We’re leading the transformation of the battery shopping experience for consumers,” said Roberto Mendez, president of North America at Bethel, Conn.-based Duracell. “By working with our retail partners like Walmart, we’re helping to reduce point-of-purchase confusion, streamlining operations in-store and making our packaging more sustainable than ever before, resulting in the removal of actual tons of plastic from the category. The product packaging and permanent display location in stores allow consumers to easily find and compare brands so they can choose the batteries they need with confidence.”
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Duracell’s new display will also provide more shelf space to increase stockholding, so less back-room space will be needed. This will reduce the amount of overall materials necessary for pallets, storage and transportation.
“We are excited to simplify the battery shopping experience for our customers,” noted Tyler Lehr, SVP, general merchandising manager, chilled beverage and convenience, Walmart. “Furthermore, the removal of plastic from the packaging is aligned with our mission as we continue on our path to becoming a regenerative company. Working closely with suppliers like Duracell on this project has been a step change in how we can drive excellence, deliver quality products to consumers and enhance the shopping experience together.”
Paper-based packaging is set to slash Duracell’s plastic use by as much as 100% from the traditional plastic packaging currently in stores. Just at Walmart, the overall packaging material will be reduced by about 855,000 pounds per year, while also eliminating more than 170 metric tons of carbon dioxide from landfills annually, according to Duracell. The redesigned display and updated packaging are major steps toward reducing the plastic use and waste, representing an important sustainability milestone in the battery industry.
The leader in the primary battery market in North America, Duracell was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a $250 billion holding company, in 2016.
Each week, approximately 255 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2024 revenue of $648 billion, the retailer employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Walmart one of its Retailers of the Century.
