(NewsNation) — Walmart is testing new “dark stores” that look like traditional retail stores but are used for online orders only and aren’t open to the public.
The company has opened one of these warehouses in Dallas and has plans for another in Bentonville, Arkansas, where the company has its headquarters, Bloomberg reported.
The goal of dark stores is to offer faster delivery, with customers choosing to pay more to get their purchases faster with increasing frequency. The chain is competing with companies like Amazon, where quick shipping is a selling point for shoppers.
Dark stories help physical locations get rid of inventory while more people move to shopping online.
Walmart’s dark stores will have most popular items in stock
The dark stores will be stocked with some of the most popular items and used to amplify the reach of existing stores and warehouses. These locations will look like normal stores, but will not allow customers inside.
Walmart previously operated a few similar warehouses from the 2010s through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walmart has worked to expand digital operations in recent years, adding new services and allowing third-party sellers to sell on the platform.
A Walmart spokesperson told KFSM-TV, “We regularly test new tools, features, and capabilities to better connect with and serve our customers—wherever and however they choose to shop. Regardless of the channel, our goal remains the same: to deliver a fast, seamless, and engaging customer experience.”
This all comes after Walmart started its drone delivery service in Dallas and Bentonville. It will reportedly expand this service to:
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Tampa, Florida
- Houston, Texas
- Orlando, Florida