Exclusive: Walmart dives into testing free pool installs
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Starting Tuesday, Walmart will offer its Dallas metro area customers free installation with the purchase of an above-ground swimming pool, a value of $400.
The big picture: It's an example of a loss-leader test for the retailer as it continues to look for ways to connect with its customers through technology and services that ultimately drive sales.
State of play: The pool was selected as a test product because it's big and bulky, and it could provide insight into expansion of other items and categories, Walmart vice president of OMNI customer growth Karthicka Krishnasamy, told Axios.
- "It's a natural customer demand when it comes to convenience and time," she said. "So is there an opportunity here? And, if this works, then we want to expand it to all brands and nationally, wherever it is applicable."
Case in point: The Dallas pilot is limited to a 22-foot Coleman pool that retails for $500.
- Logistics and service company GoConfigure will do the assembly and installation.
- The kit weighs about 220 pounds, Krishnasamy said, and YouTube videos show it takes about a day for at least two people to assemble.
What they're saying: "Our broader philosophy in our service offering is an extension of our purpose: Save money, live better," Walmart Vice President of OMNI Customer Growth Karthicka Krishnasamy, told Axios.
- The company also is working to add convenience and "remove friction" for customers by expanding delivery services via drone, from its pharmacy and with high-touch in-home delivery in some markets.
- "Delivery speed continues to help drive our business. We'll soon reach 95% of the population in the U.S. with delivery options of three hours or less," CEO Doug McMillon said in the company's first quarter earnings call in May.
What's next: Krishnasamy told a group of journalists in early June the company would soon be launching an "auto care center of the future" requiring no contact with another person.
- She didn't share details on timing or locations.