Walmart is making yet another play at trying to capture some of Amazon's e-commerce market share.
This time, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant unveiled a sleek new redesign of its website and app Monday, implementing a similar interface to its Seattle, Washington-based rival.
The website and app feature bigger, glossier photos, and snappy names for product categories and promotions, such as "spring for Easter must-haves" and "fun decor under $20."
Tom Ward, Walmart's chief e-commerce officer, wrote in a blog post Monday that the redesign "offers a more engaging way to browse and discover our incredible assortment."
"The new homepage offers a product-focused experience that better mirrors the way our customers love to shop, highlighting the items that matter most to them at any given moment," Ward said.
Ward added that the homepage features live video and mimics social media, allowing users to scroll through the offerings on the homepage just as they would scroll through Twitter or Facebook on their phones. Additionally, the redesign helps suppliers and third-party Walmart Marketplace sellers "showcase more relevant products," per Ward.
The move comes as Walmart tries to find the same lightning in a bottle that it captured during the early in the pandemic, when its e-commerce sales skyrocketed as many customers stayed at home and shopped online.
At the end of the company's second quarter in 2020, it reported e-commerce year-over-year sales growth of 97%. For comparison, Walmart's e-commerce sales grew a healthy, but not as remarkable, 17% year-over-year in the most recent quarter.
The move also represents Walmart's latest attempt to emulate Amazon's strategies. From establishing its own membership service, Walmart+, to rival Amazon Prime in 2020 to trying to bolster its marketplace for third-party sellers in recent years, Walmart continually tries to take a page out of Amazon's playbook in an attempt to one-up its rival.
What do you think of Walmart's redesign? Let reporter Ben Tobin know via email at btobin@insider.com.
