Walmart, Roku Team to Make TV Streaming an eCommerce Platform

Walmart will partner with Roku to combine TV streaming and eCommerce, letting streamers buy Walmart products from streaming platform Roku, a press release said.

The partnership will combine product discovery with a “seamless” checkout experience.

William White, Walmart’s chief marketing officer, said the idea is to connect customers “where they are already spending time, shortening the distance from discovery and inspiration to purchase.”

“No one has cracked the code around video shoppability,” he said. “By working with Roku, we’re the first-to-market retailer to bring customers a new shoppable experience and seamless checkout on the largest screen in their homes — their TV.”

The press release notes that viewers will now be able to just click “OK” with their Roku remote on an ad and go to buy the item on Walmart’s page.

“We’re making shopping on TV as easy as it is on social,” said Peter Hamilton, head of TV commerce for Roku. “For years, streamers have purchased new Roku devices and signed up for millions of subscriptions with their Roku remote. Streaming commerce brings that same ease and convenience to marketers and shoppers.”

See also: Walmart Prepares Redesigned Superstores With Focus on Higher-End Apparel, Décor

Walmart has had to adapt to fight off an increasingly new and diverse field of digital rivals, including debuting a redesigned SuperCenter, hoping to attract customers looking for clothes and furniture, PYMNTS wrote.

The company will start with 30 more redesigned stores, with more planned for the next fiscal year, the report said. Charles Redfield, chief merchandising officer, said there would be differences from store to store and there would be various things highlighted.

The new SuperCenters will reportedly come with features like dressed-up mannequins, new furniture and swimsuits and exclusive brands promoted via signs.

This all goes along with Walmart’s goal of driving new sales of apparel and other high-margin items.