Walmart Makes Its Mobile App Smarter

Walmart has added a handful of new and improved features to its namesake mobile app not only to help customers get in and out quickly, but also to assist them before they even leave the house.

The new features come together under a “totally reimagined experience for in-store shopping” that the Bentonville, Ark.-based mega-retailer has named Store Assistant. The next time shoppers visit their local Walmart, users will fund all of the tools they need in-store under Store Assistant, such as Walmart Pay. Additionally, the product search bar and scanner are easier to find, allowing for a more convenient, speedy experience reading reviews, finding items and confirming prices.

Other new features launched this week include:

• Smarter lists: Because 80 percent of Walmart shoppers make a list before heading to the store, the list-building app has been made more convenient. For instance, users need not pick an exact item term to check item stock at a local store. Moreover, the total cart, plus tax, now is calculated as users make their lists, so they can see the cost of a basket before building it in-store. And items can easily be crossed off or added as customers shop.
• Individual store maps: Each store is getting a unique map to help users find where an item is located, down to aisle and shelf.
• Even more information: Users now may easily check whether a store has a department such as a photo or auto-care center, and then check department hours and phone numbers. Additional valuable information now added includes the ability to check for things such as Rug Doctor availability.

Further updates to be added down the line include dropping pins on a store map tied to the location of items on a list, the ability to plan a route through the store, and even booking services such as oil changes in advance. Smart lists that help build themselves also may be in the works.

Walmart has been adding various new features to its mobile app to give customers a more convenient experience shopping both in-store and online. These include a simplified, two-step process for making returns, adding a feature that combines the Express Money Service feature with Express Lanes to help expedite money-services transactions, expand its Scan & Go technology to select stores across 33 states, and more.