[ad_1]
Walmart buyers will soon be able to add items to their baskets saying, "Hey, Google, talk to Walmart." The feature will be multi-platform, meaning that customers can shop from any device with Google Assistant functionality, ranging from smart speakers and screens to their Android watch or iPhone. Google Home will keep track of your favorite brands at Walmart, saving customers time. While Walmart was offering same-day and next-day shipments with Google Express, Walmart's shipping options are unclear.
Walmart, which still retains its status as the world's largest retailer in 2019, aims to claim some of the e-commerce territory already present on Amazon and Alexa. Amazon struggled to maintain its leading position in ordering online grocery products, with companies such as Walmart, Peapod, and Instacart strengthening their game. 74% of consumers have identified Amazon as their primary Destination for online shopping in 2017, this share fell to 38% in 2018, according to data from the Institute of Grocery Distribution. By 2018, Walmart has expanded its online grocery delivery to 100 different cities, just as Whole Foods and Amazon have partnered to offer delivery within two hours in some cities. Sam's Club, a division of Walmart, has partnered with Instacart earlier this month to allow same-day delivery in certain markets.
Shopping on Amazon associated with the convenience of a voice assistant like Alexa is a unique advantage that big-box retailers could not reproduce until now. Still, Walmart and Google still have a long way to go if they want to compete with Alexa. Amazon controls 70% of the smart speakers installed in December 2018, compared to 24% for Google, according to Consumer Intelligence Partners. But with the new partnership between Google and Walmart, customers who prefer the Walmart brand to Amazon's grocery offerings can choose to turn to a Google Home Assistant.
[ad_2]
Source link