Walmart Merges Grocery, Shopping Apps

Say goodbye to one Walmart app.

In a few weeks, the world’s largest retailer will phase out its standalone grocery app.

In a Q&A sent to customers, the Arkansas-based chain explained that the grocery app is not going away – it’s simply being integrated with Walmart’s original app.

The reason? Walmart said customers told the retailer they want simplicity.

“After listening to customer feedback, we found that customers wanted to shop without switching between apps,” Walmart said in its letter.

One of its most important features, pickup and delivery, can be found on Walmart’s other app.

The grocery app will face extinction through June.

App Annie reports that Walmart’s grocery app recently hit an all-time high in downloads, surpassing Amazon by 20 percent. As of April 5, the most recent rankings available, Walmart Grocery ranked No. 1 among shopping apps in the U.S.

Walmart Grocery experienced a 460 percent growth in average daily downloads in comparison to its January 2020 performance, App Annie reported. Similarly, Amazon saw 20 percent growth in average daily downloads compared to the same timeframe.

Progressive Grocer reported that the move is a win-win for Walmart, as the retailer can save money budgeted toward mobile marketing. Greater rewards could come from conducting mobile commerce via a single app, the news service reported, which is likely to increase the chances that customers will also buy other, non-grocery items from Walmart.

Last month, PYMNTS highlighted the food fight between Walmart and Amazon as the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a “new normal,” where shelter-in-place restrictions have forced customers to head online for their essential needs. One thing hasn’t changed: Amazon and Walmart are in a high-stakes race for the consumer’s whole paycheck.