Walmart Strikes Deal With Ibotta To Roll Out Digital Offers

Walmart and cashback rewards platform Ibotta have struck a deal to develop and roll out a new digital offers program on Walmart’s website and app. The retailer’s customers will be able to get cash rebates on merchandise with the new program, according to an announcement on Tuesday (June 29).

“The partnership is a win-win. We’re able to find new and exciting ways to help customers save even more with Walmart, all while propelling our business forward, driving loyalty and creating new ways for us to engage suppliers,” Janey Whiteside, executive vice president and chief customer officer, Walmart U.S., said in the announcement.

The program, which is an expansion of the relationship that Walmart and Ibotta started in 2018, lets customers get cash rebates in addition to the “savings they receive through Walmart’s everyday low prices,” the announcement stated.

Rebates will be redeemed and cash provided straight to customers’ Walmart accounts, and can be applied toward a Walmart+ membership or Walmart purchases, among other uses.

Walmart will also become a part of the Ibotta Performance Network (IPN). Walmart customers who are visiting recipe sites, social media networks and other platforms will be shown digital offers for relevant merchandise, which they will be able to choose and add to their digital Walmart carts for shopping online or in brick-and-mortar locations.

“Walmart’s participation in the IPN will further enhance our ability to drive significant traffic and sales to their stores and digital properties,” Ibotta Founder and CEO Bryan Leach said in the announcement.

Walmart also strengthened its collaboration with on-demand drone delivery upstart DroneUp. The retailer first teamed with the firm in 2020 and rolled out an experimental effort to deliver at-home COVID-19 self-collection kits.

“The trial demonstrated we could offer customers delivery in minutes versus hours. Now, after safely completing hundreds of drone deliveries from Walmart stores, we’re making an investment in DroneUp to continue our work toward developing a scalable last-mile delivery solution,” John Furner, CEO and president of Walmart U.S., said in a June announcement.