BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart has a penchant for keeping the industry on our toes and our eyes on the newswire. Recently, the retail behemoth announced a new celebrity partnership with Jamie Oliver as part of its Walmart Cookshop. Powered by eko’s interactive video technology, the retailer is aiming to roll out a new series titled Veggie Boost. The announcement was released along with Walmart’s third quarter earnings release, in which the retailer reported it will use fresh strategies to bolster growth and meet heightened demand in anticipation of the holiday season.
“Cooking together or for a loved one can bring so much joy, and now more than ever, we need our kids to grow up healthy and happy,” said Jamie Oliver, Chef and Restaurateur. “eko’s technology will allow people to interact with my recipes, and choose what ingredients they want to use. I hope everyone will enjoy our quick, easy, and unique recipes that families can experiment with over and over again.”
According to a press release, Veggie Boost and other customizable food series will be available within The Walmart Cookshop, an interactive video hub for home cooks. From simple ways to add more veggies to classic dishes to creating fun meals that the whole family can help prepare, Veggie Boost will provide new ways to make meals more nutritious and encourage families to cook together.
This new launch falls in line with Walmart’s attention to bring grocery sales to the forefront, both in-store and online, as cateogry demand skyrockets.
“Walmart U.S. had another strong quarter. Comp sales increased 6.4 percent, and we significantly reduced operating losses in e-commerce. Consistent with the second quarter, we saw customers consolidate shopping trips with larger baskets and fewer transactions,” Doug McMillon, President and CEO, stated in an earnings call. “Comp sales accelerated from the beginning of the quarter, helped by food, consumables, and health and wellness. E-commerce grew 79 percent. Growth was strong in pickup and delivery as well as direct-to-home with the highest growth coming from marketplace.”
In the quarter three earnings release, Walmart reported total revenue was $134.7 billion, an increase of $6.7 billion, or 5.2 percent. Operating cash flow year to date also increased by approximately $8.3 billion from last year to almost $23 billion. And with the holidays fast approaching, Walmart is continuing its e-commerce prep with plans for another expansion.
“The team is being flexible when it comes to meeting demand. For example, we’ve turned on nearly 2,500 stores to fulfill online orders,” McMillon continued. “We can quickly flex this number as the holiday season progresses, to help relieve pressure on our e-commerce fulfillment centers, if necessary.”
What will the retail landscape look like as we near the holidays and consumer demands continue to shift? ANUK will stay hot on the retail trail.
