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☆ Retailers turn to an unlikely source to boost profits. Walmart shows how powerful this lever could be
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

There are three main routes through which retailers like Walmart benefit from advertising, Tarlowe said. The focus in retail advertising once transitioned from in-store to retailer websites with the e-commerce boom, Gutman said. Walmart: The pack leader With the deal, Walmart appears ahead of the retail pack, Gutman said. Connected TV is also just one part of a broader tide-change that's bolstering optimism on the stock, analysts told CNBC Pro. Other retail ideas Beyond Walmart, analysts said retailers need size and scale to perform well within off-site advertising.

Persons: Jefferies, Corey Tarlowe, Tarlowe, Morgan Stanley, Matt, Simeon Gutman, Gutman, it's, Roku, FactSet, Warren Buffett, Franklin Templeton, Dan Niles Organizations: Walmart, Intelligence, Retailers, Albertsons, CNBC, P Retail, Costco, Target, FactSet, TGT, Nvidia, & & , & & () Locations: Arkansas, Vizio

☆ The next phase of the war between Walmart and Amazon will be fought on your TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Representatives for Walmart and Amazon did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Walmart currently sells ad space to suppliers on its internal site and app and conducts ad campaigns through promoted posts on external social media sites. Advertisement"Walmart's consumer reach could propel Vizio's ad business to eventually rival Samsung and Roku. In Q4, which included the holiday shopping season for both companies, Walmart reported $173.4 billion in revenue, compared to Amazon's reported $169.96 billion.

Persons: —, Forbes, David Zapletal, Kenneth Suh, AdWeek, Ross Benes, Doug Herrington, Fortune, Seth Dallaire Organizations: Service, Amazon, Business, Walmart, Hulu, Walmart Connect, Samsung, CTV, Insider Intelligence, Amazon's

☆ Walmart to buy TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion in move to grow its ad business
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Jacob Pramuk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart has agreed to buy TV maker Vizio , the companies announced Tuesday, as the largest U.S. retailer grows its high-profit ad business. Walmart will acquire Vizio for $2.3 billion, or $11.50 per share, in cash. But in buying the company, Walmart touted the potential to boost its ad business through Vizio's SmartCast Operating System, which allows users to stream free ad-supported content on their TVs. As it pushes for higher profits, the retail titan has tried to expand its media business Walmart Connect, which comes with bigger profit margins than selling groceries or clothing. In a news release, Walmart said Vizio's SmartCast system has 18 million active accounts.

Persons: Seth Dallaire Organizations: Walmart, Vizio, Walmart Connect, Walmart U.S, CNBC PRO Locations: Secaucus New Jersey, U.S

☆ 3 ways buying Vizio would send Walmart's ad business surging and put Amazon on notice
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ryan Joe | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart is reportedly in talks to buy TV manufacturer Vizio for over $2 billion , in an effort to bolster its ad business, according to The Wall Street Journal. Here are three ways Vizio would power-up Walmart's ad business and make it a much bigger competitor to Amazon, according to several ad industry experts. While Walmart buying Vizio would grow its ads business, it would also improve the margins for its current ad business, said Nikhil Raj, chief business officer of adtech company Moloco’s retail media business. The new inventory Walmart would inherit would let it tap TV and branding budgetsIf Walmart buys Vizio, it would inherit connected-TV ad inventory, which it doesn’t currently have. Most of Walmart’s retail media business comes from search ads , though it’s expanded that to include some display and video ads.

Persons: you’ve, there’s, ”, Nikhil Raj, Raj, Walmart.com, ” Raj, doesn’t, it’s, ” Forrester, Nikhil Lai, Eric Franchi, Eric Seufert, Mobile Dev Organizations: Walmart, Wall Street, Amazon, Business, Vizio, CTV, “ Walmart, Walmart Connect, Connect, VC, Mobile Locations: Vizio, Walmart.com, “

☆ Walmart's ad sales division just launched an initiative to stay competitive in the retail media race
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart is rolling out new educational programs to court advertisers. Rivals Amazon and Instacart already offer similar programs aimed at grabbing bigger ad budgets. A big chunk of Walmart's first courses pitch Sponsored Brands, a popular search ad format. Retailers that sell ads are expected to pocket $104 billion by 2025, according to Morgan Stanley . To stay competitive, Walmart's advertising arm Walmart Connect is launching an educational program called Walmart Connect Academy Ad Certification, to help advertisers fully understand how Walmart's ad business works and what sort of products and ad units it offers.

Persons: Morgan Stanley Organizations: Walmart, Rivals Locations: Instacart

An employee arranges shopping carts outside a Walmart store in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., November 20, 2018. Shares in Walmart, which have climbed 12.3% this year, were up about 3% in premarket trading. Smaller rival Target (TGT.N) on Wednesday beat quarterly profit estimates, benefiting from leaner inventory, but in contrast to Walmart, cut its forecast for the year. Online sales rose 24% in the second quarter, mainly driven by double-digit growth in store-fulfilled pickup and delivery. The company's global advertising business, called Walmart Connect, rose 35%.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Hogan, John David Rainey, Aishwarya Venugopal, Siddharth Cavale, Sriraj Kalluvila, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Walmart Inc, Riley, Walmart's, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Walmart raises full-year earnings forecast as grocery, online growth fuel higher sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It said adjusted earnings per share for the year will range between $6.36 and $6.46. That compares with its prior guidance for consolidated net sales gains of 3.5% and an adjusted earnings per share range of between $6.10 and $6.20. Transactions increased by 2.9% and the average ticket rose by 3.4% for Walmart U.S.Same-store sales for Walmart U.S. grew by 6.4% in the second quarter, excluding fuel, compared with the year-ago period. Sales for Walmart Connect, the company's advertising business in the U.S., grew 36% year over year. In the grocery department at Walmart U.S., sales of private labels rose 9% year over year.

Persons: John David Rainey, Rainey, Doug McMillon, Judith McKenna, Kath McLay, Chris Nicholas, " Rainey, Walmart's, John Furner Organizations: Walmart, Walmart U.S, CNBC, Sam's, Walmart Connect Locations: U.S

☆ Walmart is bringing ads to an aisle near you as retailers chase new money-makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The discounter has nearly 4,700 stores across the U.S., with roughly 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart store. In the U.S., about 139 million customers visit Walmart stores and its website or app each week. Walmart plans to sell the sampling stations to advertisers and bundle them with other ad formats that can run at the same time to make for a fuller campaign. In the most recent fiscal year, Walmart's global ads business grew nearly 30% and its U.S. ads business, Walmart Connect, rose about 40%. That's a sharper gain than the approximately 7% increase in Walmart's total revenue and Walmart U.S. net sales during the period.

Persons: Ryan Mayward, That's, Doug McMillon Organizations: Walmart, Shoppers, Kroger, Mattel, Walmart Connect, Fort, U.S, Walmart U.S Locations: U.S, Dallas, Fort Worth

☆ Walmart cuts price of Walmart+ for households that receive food stamps, other government aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The nation's largest retailer said Thursday that it will cut the price of Walmart+ in half for those low-income households. Walmart has not disclosed total Walmart+ subscribers, but said about a quarter of its members get government assistance. Walmart launched Walmart+ in 2020 to hook shoppers and increase the likelihood of them spending more on its website and in stores. Along with the Walmart+ discounted price, Walmart said it has made it easier for families receiving food aid to shop online. It said it now accepts SNAP online in all 50 states.

Persons: Doug McMillon, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Walmart, Nutrition, SNAP, United States Department of Agriculture, Amazon Prime, Costco, Sam's, Paramount, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Walmart Connect Locations: U.S, Alaska

☆ Walmart's top ad sales exec tells Insider his plan to grab TV and social media budgets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart has big ambitions to grow its digital ad sales while still focusing on its huge in-store reach. Walmart is hoping to use its footprint of 4,700 physical stores to give it a leg up in retail media. Last year, Walmart brought on the seasoned retail media exec Ryan Mayward to steer ad sales to give its advertising arm Walmart Connect a big boost. Mayward previously led ad sales for Instacart and he helped Amazon grow its relationships with ad agencies. Similar to other marketplaces like Amazon and Instacart, search advertising on Walmart.com is a basic part of every brand's advertising plan, he said.

☆ Meet 12 Walmart execs steering its $2.7 billion ad business as it races to catch up to Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart is the second-largest retail advertising player, behind Amazon. The retailer is investing in talent, tech, and partnerships to grow its $2.7 billion ad business. Insider identified 12 execs in charge of growing Walmart's ad business. In 2022, Walmart's ad business, Walmart Connect, was $2.7 billion — up 30% year-over-year — making it the second-biggest e-commerce ad seller. Most of that market is currently owned by Amazon's $37.7 billion ad business.

☆ Even Walmart needs a side hustle. Here are 4 other ways the store chain makes its money – besides selling merchandise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

WalmartLike Walmart Connect, Walmart Luminate — a data monetization platform — has grown in spades since its launch in October 2021. Walmart has been working hard to increase its number of sellers on Walmart Marketplace. Walmart GoLocal launched in 2021. By the end of 2022, Walmart GoLocal delivered from more than 5,000 business and retail locations. "Through Walmart GoLocal, any merchant from national retailers to small town shops can use Walmart's growing delivery platform to power their local delivery efforts.

☆ As retail gets choppy, Walmart flexes its grocery muscle, deep pockets and huge reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article WMT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAs shoppers get thrifty, Walmart is flexing its muscles. And its huge reach allows Walmart to make money in other ways, including selling ads, offering delivery services and fulfilling online orders for third-party sellers. Here's a closer look at some key themes for Walmart that could emerge at the investor event:Checking the consumer's healthAs the nation's largest retailer, Walmart is a bellwether. It said it expects same-store sales for Walmart U.S. will increase between 2% and 2.5% excluding fuel, in the fiscal year ahead. The retailer will likely showcase how it is growing online sales and trying to make them profitable.

☆ Walmart will derive more profit from services, ad sales in next 5 years -CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Today, the vast majority of our overall profits are attributable to in-store brick-and-mortar in the U.S.," John David Rainey, Walmart's CFO, said at a Raymond James Conference. Services, such as fees Walmart collects from third-party sellers on Walmart.com, the cut it gets if Walmart fulfills those orders to shoppers and the dollars that advertisers spend through Walmart's growing retail media business, are the higher-margin, faster-growing parts of Walmart's business, Rainey said. Most recently, Amazon disclosed $11.6 billion in revenue from its ad business in the fourth quarter. The business has grown rapidly since then, with sales rising nearly 30% to $2.7 billion in its fiscal year ended Jan. 31. In the fourth quarter, ad sales rose 41% year-over-year, the company said last month.

☆ Walmart strikes a deal with Salesforce to sell more of its tech to other retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart Global Chief Technology Officer Suresh Kumar said the deal with Salesforce will help Walmart improve the experience for shoppers. For instance, as Walmart's GoLocal has more packages to deliver from more retailers, its drivers will have denser routes, he said. It began selling Store Assist, technology that its own store employees use, in the summer. In November, Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said Walmart added more than 8,000 sellers to its third-party marketplace in the fiscal third quarter. Walmart will stand out in its app store as a technology by retailers and for retailers, he added.

☆ Walmart's metaverse experiments aim to attract 'younger evangelists' from generations Z and Alpha, experts say. Others warn it may be a lot of effort for limited returns.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart's launch of its virtual-reality experiments with global gaming platform Roblox is a "game-changing moment" for the retailer, according to Justin Lacche, a metaverse consultant. But, more importantly, the experiments will help Walmart connect with the younger consumers it wants to attract. About half — 45% — of Roblox users are under the age of 13. Roblox is not the metaverse, it's more of a gaming environment, but it is a stepping stone to the metaverse." Have you tried Walmart's metaverse experiments or have insights to share on the projects?

☆ Walmart is bolstering its $2 billion ad biz by selling ads on TikTok and Roku, as rivals like Kroger are also pushing to sell ads in other platforms
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart data can now power ads on TikTok, Roku, and Snap. Walmart's $2 billion ad business just got a major shot in the arm amid heated competition from retailers like Kroger and Amazon. Walmart data can now power ads on TikTok, Roku, and Snap. This is the first time it will power ad sales on other sites, said Rich Lehrfeld, SVP and GM of the retailer's ad arm Walmart Connect. BCG estimates that retail media will be a $100 billion market by 2026; ad agency GroupM has an even more ambitious forecast, saying retail media will hit $160 billion by 2027.

☆ Google, Meta, Are Losing People to Walmart, Amazon in the Advertising Talent Wars
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon, Walmart, and others are in a war for talent as they build advertising arms. Amazon recently listed more than 2,800 advertising jobs on its site while Walmart's advertising arm, Walmart Connect, had nearly 1,000 openings. The biggest hirers were Walmart, Amazon, where advertising headcount has grown roughly fourfold in the past two years, and Instacart, per Revelio Labs' data. Walmart started building an ads business, Walmart Connect, in earnest in 2019 and has turned it into a $2 billion-plus revenue stream. Movement of advertising hires to Instacart, Walmart, Amazon, Jan. 2021-present.

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