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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is partnering with Google to give shoppers additional ways to buy its products online.
Beginning in late September, hundreds of thousands of Walmart products will be available for purchase via the Google Express e-commerce platform, the companies announced on Wednesday. Besides increasing Walmart’s visibility online, particularly with people who use Google’s search engine to buy or research products, the move will also allow consumers to order Walmart merchandise simply by talking their Google Home voice controlled device and using its Google Assistant feature.
The partnership is seen as bolstering Walmart and Google in their efforts to take on Amazon.com, which offers voice shopping via its Alexa-powered Echo device.
“One of the primary use cases for voice shopping will be the ability to build a basket of previously purchased everyday essentials,” said Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce, in a blog post explaining the move. “That’s why we decided to deeply integrate our Easy Reorder feature into Google Express. This will enable us to deliver highly personalized shopping recommendations based on customers’ previous purchases, including those made in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com. To take advantage of this personalization, customers only need to link their Walmart account to Google Express.”
Lore said Walmart intends to build on the arrangement.
“Next year, we will also leverage our 4,700 U.S. stores and our fulfillment network to create customer experiences that don’t currently exist within voice shopping anywhere else, including choosing to pick up an order in store (often for a discount) or using voice shopping to purchase fresh groceries across the country,” Lore said. “Our new voice shopping capability, coupled with our core value proposition, including free two-day shipping and the Pickup Discount, will give our customers a compelling new way to get what they need at low prices.”