Apple iOS and Google Android users can shop toys from the Walmart catalog—including more than 150 exclusive products—by scanning an item with a Digimarc barcode and ordering it through the app.
Alvis Washington, vice president of Marketing, Walmart, said in a statement: “Creating convenience for Walmart’s customers was a key priority for this year’s Toy Catalog. Through our partnership with Digimarc, we were able to enhance our catalog with a Scan & Shop option for our customers. This is an exciting new feature that I know will resonate with our customers.”
The Digimarc technology will be present in 35 million Walmart catalogs. Customers can find the catalogs in 4,800 Walmart stores in the U.S., and they are also available through major omnichannel toy resellers and can be mailed directly to customers’ homes.
Bruce Davis, chief executive officer at Digimarc, said in a statement: “The Digimarc Platform delivers a new level of convenience to Walmart customers and important data insights for company executives, and further strengthens our relationship with the world’s largest retailer.”
The implementation of technology into retail stores is a recent marketing trend and a way for stores to adapt to changing consumer attitudes. Recently, Target and Toys R Us announced a collaboration that sees Toys R Us stores open as experiential spaces with a selection of toys available to purchase.
However, some toys won’t be available to purchase instore, and instead, customers will be assisted in placing their orders online through Target.com. Customers can also read about products at ToysRUs.com before purchasing through Target. This collaboration comes after Toys R Us declared bankruptcy in 2017 and closed hundreds of retail stores.
Grocery stores have started to be digitized, with plans for stores where customers can purchase items through their phones rather than at the checkout, as well as plans for a robotic shopping cart. Another piece of technology connects shoppers’ phones to the store’s shelves, to help them find the product they’re looking for. This technology was revealed at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in 2018.
