Walmart steps up voice shopping drive

Walmart recently announced a partnership with Google, in which the latter would offer Walmart products to people who shop on online shopping mall, Google Express. This was significant as it marked the first time the world’s biggest retailer made its products available online in the US outside of its own website.

And now its customers can voice shop more than two million Walmart.com items via the Google Home and Google Home Mini devices.

The aim is to stop Amazon from dominating the growing voice commerce market. According to Accenture research, 89% of shoppers are familiar with Alexa and 77% with Google Home. 71% and 68% of shoppers are using or would like to use Alexa and Google Home respectively.

In a blog post, Andrew Sun, General Manager, Internet of Things, Walmart US E-commerce, says: “Everyone should have access to a virtual assistant, especially when it can be a tool to help make shopping more convenient. That’s one of the reasons why we’re excited about the launch of the Google Home Mini. With a price tag of $49, it offers an affordable option for consumers who want to experience how a voice assistant can help them with everyday tasks – from getting answers to hands-free shopping.”

He adds: “We want to make it even easier for customers to experience the convenience of voice shopping. Starting today, any customer who buys a Google Home or Google Home Mini from Walmart will receive up to $25 off a Walmart order when they link their Walmart account to Google Express. By linking their accounts, customers save time and money by receiving recommendations based on their previous purchases made in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com.”