Shoppers can now order tires from third-party sellers on Walmart Marketplace and schedule an appointment to have those tires installed at a Walmart Auto Care Center at the same time.
The tires will be shipped to the customer’s local Walmart store for installation, Michael Mosser, vice president and category lead at Walmart Marketplace, said in a Wednesday (April 17) blog post.
“We know that buying tires is an important decision, and the right fit and quality are essential,” Mosser said in the post. “Stores often have limited space and may not have the exact tire you want in stock. Ordering tires online from other retailers usually involves having the tires shipped to your home. And you probably have to take them somewhere else to be installed. It can be a lot to coordinate. Until now.”
On the day of the announcement, there were nearly 40,000 unique items available from Walmart Sellers that were eligible to be installed under this initiative, according to the post.
Shoppers can use the Walmart app or Walmart.com to search for tires, have them shipped to a Walmart Auto Care Center for installation, and schedule a time for that installation, the post said. The online experience will help shoppers see which tires are appropriate for their vehicle and will clearly tag the ones that are eligible for installation.
These tires can be installed at any one of the 2,300 Walmart Auto Care Centers around the country, per the post.
“As the world’s leading omnichannel retailer, we’re bringing all the pieces together to be more than a marketplace,” Mosser said in the post. “We’re looking across our stores and eCommerce channels to create great experiences for customers and more opportunities for Walmart Marketplace sellers to reach them.”
This initiative extends to select tires from third-party sellers the tire-buying eCommerce program that Walmart launched for its own tires in 2021. When launching that offering, the retailer said the program was designed to simplify a tire-buying process that can be complicated and intimidating.
In August 2023, Walmart added a Virtual Garage that allows customers to store information about their vehicles, making it easier for them to shop for items for those autos and schedule service appointments at Walmart Auto Care Centers.
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