Walmart clicks "bold" on store and e-commerce brand refresh
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Examples of the refreshed brand in use. Photo: courtesy Walmart
Walmart is revealing plans Monday for an updated look to its brand that will roll out online and on its mobile app this month. Its 4,600 U.S. stores will get refreshed over time.
Why it matters: Even as the retailer's sales were robust, its top competitor bites at its heels. Amazon ended 2023 with $575 billion in revenue, compared to Walmart's $648 billion.
The big picture: The company is working to retain its value-focused customer base while cultivating relationships with higher-income and younger shoppers, using its brick-and-mortar footprint as delivery fulfillment centers and leaning into e-commerce through an Amazonesque marketplace of third-party sellers.
Catch up quick: Walmart's updated brand identity is intended to look to the future while honoring its past, a news release explains.
- Examples show the brand name in a new but similar font that's been bolded. Its iconic "spark," the six-pronged yellow flower logo, also gets a bolder treatment.
- Colors are brighter and the once-staunch company appears ready to allow creative variations on how its logo is presented on merchandise.
The designs were inspired by Sam Walton's trucker hat, the company said.
Flashback: The last major visual overhaul was in 2008 when it dropped the star used as a hyphen between Wal and Mart, and began using the single word Walmart punctuated by the spark.
What they're saying: "Our customer is changing, and as we evolve and expand our offering to serve them in new and different ways, our brand identity needs to reflect that evolution," William White, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart U.S., said in an emailed response.
- The colors and logos are the first steps. "The remainder will be redesigned over the course of 2025 and beyond," White said.
Fun fact: Northwest Arkansans can see the first store to transform at the Walmart Supercenter on Elm Springs Road in Springdale. It was upgraded in October.
By the numbers: Walmart spent $5.7 billion on store and Sam's Club remodels during its fiscal 2024, up 16% from the year before.
- White wouldn't say how much the company plans to invest in the refresh or when it will be complete, but that the company will take advantage of the normal update lifecycles of its stores.
What's next: Walmart is expected to officially open its new Bentonville headquarters this month.
- Its fourth-quarter earnings report is due Feb. 20.
