Fortune reports this morning that Walmart "is in the process of overhauling the layout of the food section at 3,000 stores, including supercenters and the smaller Neighborhood Market stores, by year-end." The goal is clear - to more specifically delineate and differentiate Walmart's approach to food in a way that will allow it to compete more effectively with the likes of Kroger, which continues to grow, evolve and excel; with Target, which has pledged a reinvention of its approach to food; and with lower-cost retailers such as Aldi and, eventually, Lidl.
"Some of these steps," Fortune writes, "are deceptively simple: Put leafy greens closer to the front of the store, replace black plastic crates with ones that look like wood for a farmers’ market feel, and group like-colored produce together to create a visual pop.
"Another key part of the transformation involves lowering display cases and opening up floor space so that shoppers can see clear across the food area, lending it a higher-end feel. Walmart is even adding faux chalkboards, evoking a Whole Foods.
"As for other foods, Walmart is emphasizing things like 100% grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free meat, and it now prepares 60% of bakery items on site. It’s also putting more refrigeration on the floor so that less food lingers in back rooms—which increases freshness and means less running back and forth by workers."
Walmart also is releasing a new line of meal kits - using the brand name "Street Kitchen" - that offer easy to make Chinese and Mexican dishes for less than three bucks apiece ... its bid to get a piece of the burgeoning meal kit business, albeit at a much lower price point than is being charged by some other companies in the segment.
"Some of these steps," Fortune writes, "are deceptively simple: Put leafy greens closer to the front of the store, replace black plastic crates with ones that look like wood for a farmers’ market feel, and group like-colored produce together to create a visual pop.
"Another key part of the transformation involves lowering display cases and opening up floor space so that shoppers can see clear across the food area, lending it a higher-end feel. Walmart is even adding faux chalkboards, evoking a Whole Foods.
"As for other foods, Walmart is emphasizing things like 100% grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free meat, and it now prepares 60% of bakery items on site. It’s also putting more refrigeration on the floor so that less food lingers in back rooms—which increases freshness and means less running back and forth by workers."
Walmart also is releasing a new line of meal kits - using the brand name "Street Kitchen" - that offer easy to make Chinese and Mexican dishes for less than three bucks apiece ... its bid to get a piece of the burgeoning meal kit business, albeit at a much lower price point than is being charged by some other companies in the segment.
- KC's View:
-
This is the other part of Walmart's planned resurgence ... because the competition is coming at them from all directions. 'Duck and cover" is not an option.
