Walmart prepares for the future with hybrid store

American store chain Walmart has opened a new type of store, called Walmart Pickup and Fuel: it is a hybrid between a gas station, a grocery store and a pick-up point for online orders.

Pre-emptive strike on Amazon

While many offline companies are turning their gaze towards online and online companies like Amazon are going into the other direction, Walmart is trying to cover all bases by adding a new store formula to its network. The Pick Up and Fuel stores, currently only in Huntsville and Thornton, are a kind of elaborated gas station grocery store. Not only does it carry basics like milk, eggs and bread, but it also allows pick-ups for online grocery orders. Orders made before 13h can be picked up after 17h – with free parking and no surcharge.

With the latter, it tackles competitor Kroger, which also has plenty of pick-up points, but charges a fee for every order. With the entire store formula, it mostly targets Amazon, which has plans to open its own grocery stores in 2018. Most likely, these stores will resemble these Walmart Pickup and Fuel Stores. Has Walmart given itself a 2-year lead on competitor Amazon in this regard?