Walmart China today announced upgrades to its cross-border e-commerce business in time for the Double 11 shopping festival, introducing about 300 international brands and adding popular mid- to high-end products at competitive prices.

The upgrades were made in September with improved range includes beauty and personal care, mother and baby, nutrition and supplements, alcohol and beverage, and automotive products. In some regions, orders can now be delivered within two to three days.

The upgrades are already hitting the mark with single day sales breaking Walmart records and average daily sales in October achieving an increase in month-on-month growth of around 46 times. Within half an hour of sales starting at midnight on 28 October 2022, about 40,000 bottles of SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and 8,000 bottles of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair were sold.

Walmart intends to keep enhancing the range of products available through its cross-border e-commerce offers to bring more of shoppers favorite everyday international products at competitive prices.

Walmart's cross-border e-commerce business has been upgraded to offer about 300 selected products from top overseas brands at competitive prices.

Walmart uses its strong global product sourcing capability, efficient supply chain, and deep insights into customers' shopping preferences to successfully identify and procure popular product lines. It is a trusted, one-stop shop for consumers to purchase products from home and abroad.

The success of the recent upgrades is a great example of how Walmart is implementing its differentiation strategy for its hypermarkets, which will be a key driver of future growth.

Christina Xiaojing Zhu, President and CEO of Walmart China, said: "As a locally-based retailer serving local communities, Walmart hypermarkets believe in the vision of helping customers 'save money and live better', which is also the mission of our retail professionals. We believe that every dollar we save for consumers is meaningful and makes a difference in their lives." 

Selling name brands at low prices in multiple categories reshapes perceptions of grocers

Walmart has carefully assessed which international products are most popular with Chinese families and has selected the best products in key categories to add to the cross-border platform. This includes a range of prestigious personal care products, such as SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, La Mer Cream and Helena Rubinstein Replasty Age Recovery. 

Prices shown in the video are valid until November 16, 2022.

High quality, mid-range products that offer great value for money are also included in the new product offering, such as Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and L'Occitane hand cream, as well as a range of everyday household items, such as Mobil motor oil and Aptamil baby formula. Rather than offering consumers a huge selection of choices, Walmart has deliberately refined its offering to target the exact products its customers want, saving them time and making the shopping experience hassle-free.

Suntory Yamazaki Whiskey is an example of a popular product that sells out quickly, and other best-sellers and emerging products including Goodhealth Oyster Extract Capsules and ON Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Powder.

As a retailer based close to home, Walmart provides a seamless shopping experience to customers both online and offline.

After a customer places an order on Walmart's mini program, products are sent from bonded warehouses and delivered nationwide by JD Logistics, making shopping easy and convenient for customers, even in cities without a Walmart store. In addition, as a retailer based close to home, Walmart provides a seamless shopping experience to customers both online and offline, including answering queries and providing after-sales services to help customers shop with ease and peace of mind.

Proven strengths: Strong global sourcing capability, supply chain efficiency, and brand credibility

Walmart protects its product sources and channels by leveraging its global sourcing capability and working directly with brands. Walmart applies point-to-point monitoring throughout its logistics process to ensure that products are shipped directly from the bonded warehouse to customers' homes under stringent control. These measures ensure that Walmart’s cross-border e-commerce business is known as a reliable channel for authentic products.

Since the upgrades were delivered, consumers' perceptions of Walmart have been reshaped, thanks in part to frequent offers at unbelievable prices. This price advantage stems from suppliers' trust in the Walmart brand, strengthening Walmart's bargaining power. Walmart's supply chain efficiency also creates value for customers. For example, two bottles of 100ml Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair are sold for RMB 999*, and one bottle of SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is sold for RMB 699*.

Jun Zhu, Chief Merchandising Officer of Walmart Hypermarket Stores, said: "The upgrade of our cross-border e-commerce offering strives to create excellence for customers, and changes customers' perceptions of Walmart. This upgrade demonstrates Walmart's value, which is leveraging our core strengths to generate products that bring excitement, originality, and value to customers' lives. In the future, we will continue to expand our cross-border e-commerce range with products of great value and differentiation to meet families' diverse needs, and make Walmart their frequent shopping destination."

*The actual selling price is subject to the final transaction price.