Happy National App Day: Walmart's in-house developers create 15 business solution apps and features for associates
Apps help make the in-store experience as best as possible for customers
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Dec. 11, 2019 /CNW/ - How many times has a tech savvy friend told you: "hey, there's an app for that" and there always is! Apps are so pervasive in our lives they even have their own celebration – Happy National App Day.
Walmart Canada is on a mission to innovate and part of this effort is providing its associates with the best tools to do their jobs more efficiently and smartly. That's why Walmart has invested in a team of innovative developers to work alongside store associates to modernize how they work and solve legitimate business problems.
And on special days like today, Walmart is joining with the developer team to appreciate and thank the apps and features the team has designed – and there are a lot of them.
This year alone Walmart's team launched more than 15 apps and features for associates. Associates' app usage is up over 75 per cent and the estimated 4.5 million app uses has driven efficiencies and gives associates more time to serve customers.
Now, from the palm of their hands associates can better manage their business, review important data and receive or distribute communications. A few examples include:
- With an app called PlanIT associates can see their store performance in sales, markdowns, inventory and customer experience scores all in one location.
- The aptly named Availability App, (note: we need to work on our app names) allows associates to review out of stock items and improve product availability all while on the sales floor versus printing reports in the back office.
- Huddle Notes is a tool to gather all information to better communicate with store associates at all levels across all shifts.
Associates themselves are encouraged to provide reviews, make suggestions and rate each app.
This holiday season, Walmart is also offering Check Out With Me to provide a faster checkout experience for smaller purchases. An associate uses an app to scan merchandise, provide a mobile payment device and a bagging cart on wheels to check out customers during busy periods. The bagging cart, which accompanies the associate, was developed by a store associate though an internal idea generation competition. All three of these innovations are now available across the country.
Jeffrey Hetherington has worked in Walmart Canada stores for over two decades and leads the collaboration between stores and technology.
"It's amazing to see how often these apps are being used to drive efficiency in our stores and to help our associates. It's fun to see it all coming to life," said Hetherington, Innovation Field Manager, Walmart Canada. "Our app design team is always listening to associates in the stores and working to create apps that help them. Apps are making a huge difference for our business."
"As we layer in innovation on top of Innovation, having our associates connected, informed and mobile is critical to how we operate every component of our stores. When you put our store associates and technology teams together to solve a common problem, the potential is endless," said Lee Jeyes, Senior Director, Store Process and Innovation, Walmart Canada.
Take a moment today, don't just click on your apps, appreciate, thank and celebrate them. #nationalappday
About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 750,000 customers daily. With more than 85,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $400 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.
SOURCE Walmart Canada
Adam Grachnik, Director, Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada, [email protected]
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