Walmart Reveals New Store Design

Walmart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.) has unveiled a new design for remodeled stores that will tie each section of the store together with a fresh use of light and color.

As shown to its annual shareholders meeting this week, the big-box discounter will eliminate high shelves stuffed with merchandise in favor of softer colors, understated shelving and a new floor plan intended to keep customers from having to dart all over the store to gather their purchases.

“We're trying to make it more experiential, rather than just stuff we're selling,” said Joe Tapper, the company's vp for store presentation. “We've placed emphasis on making it more enjoyable.”

Having shelves filled with cardboard boxes has seen its day, Tapper said. “All those types of things are evolutionary. We've evolved with the customer.”

The company said the bright new design fits with the company's economic-downturn strategy of offering affordable fun — from DVDs to prepared meals — that families are opting for instead of eating out and going to the movies.

Walmart said it studied how its customers shop, and Tapper and Jay Mitchael, the retailer’s vp for merchandise and modular planning, found that customers weren't spending their time efficiently. But neither are the changes designed to rush the customer out of the store.

“The idea is to make the experience seem faster,” Tapper said. Being able to see from one department to the next helps. So does having more long aisles that stretch from one end of the store to the other. Vertical high-definition video screens placed in key areas carry promotions and are intended to help shoppers find what they want.

A store in Rogers, Ark, is the first to feature the new “Walmart” logo, without a hyphen, and signage saying “Market and Pharmacy” and “Home and Living.” The message is intended to be soft and understated, away from Walmart's previous penchant for garish colors. Shoppers enter the food area through the bakery and produce areas.

Mitchael, whose background is in engineering, said the lower shelves and wider aisles give the shopper a clear path to move to the next stop. The new shelving is designed to be less noticeable, letting the product itself meet the customer's eye. Signs advertising low prices, including “unbeatable” deals, are everywhere. There’s also no place in the store that a customer can't perform a 360-degree turn without seeing numerous “strike points,” places of emphasis that lead the shopper to sets of related items. Seasonal items greet customers at the entrances, as do products featured for their low prices. Seasonal products are also meshed with regular stock.

The flexibility of the design is also helping Walmart meet its long-pursued goal of tailoring stores for each community. The Rogers store has a service seafood area and the bakery area is redesigned so customers can see the bakers at work. “We want to utilize that to create theater,” said Tapper, whose background is in food marketing.