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This article discusses the Retailer positioning and the Marketing mix (4Ps) of Walmart

The story Walmart wants to tell:

The brand’s story begins with one man named Sam Walton in 1962 with a mission and visionary leadership to make a difference in the lifestyle of its customers. Even today, the brand story revolves around helping several communities save money and live a better life. The brand witnessed humble beginnings and initially, the journey originated by opening discount stores in rural areas but Sam’s vision was to become one of the world’s most prominent retailers, and today Walmart is the primary source for household items, clothing, groceries, and more for millions of consumers worldwide with a story depicting “delivering everyday low prices and convenience to its customers.”

Brand’s positioning: 

To:	Individuals who are looking for value and convenience and want a wide variety of products at affordable prices.
Brand is:	A global retail industry.
That:	Provides a diverse variety of products at competitive prices.
Because:	They value a flexible return policy.They are budget-friendly without compromising the quality of products.They offer fast and free shipping as well.
So that:	I can shop for good quality products at the best price.

How well did Walmart support its marketing position? Discuss all Ps plus the retail/service experience:

The brand is successful in holding a satisfactory marketing position due to the belief of its customers which helped the brand to secure a distinguished position in the retail market.

Walmart’s Marketing Mix (4P) Analysis:

PRODUCTS: The brand offers a wide range of PRODUCTS in different categories like Electronics and office, Movies, Music, Furniture and appliances, Home Decor, Clothing, Shoes, Toys and Video Games, Food, Pharmacy, Health and beauty, Sports Fitness and outdoors, and many more. It would be easy to say that one can literally find everything at Walmart. 

PRICING: Walmart uses different PRICING strategies “Always low prices” and “Everyday low prices” depending on consumer behavior. The brand charges its products approximately 15% lower than its competitors. 

PLACE: Walmart has over 10,000+ retail stores across the world in over 20+ countries. The brand uses an intensive DISTRIBUTION (PLACE) strategy by providing the same quality goods through stores and e-commerce outlets as well. This attracts customers as they can have a more convenient shopping experience by accessing it online. 

PROMOTION: The brand uses several PROMOTION strategies like public relations, sales promotion, advertising, and other methods to deliver its messages to the target audience. Walmart even uses website, television, and newspapers as a mode of its promotion.

My visit to Walmart for mystery shopping was a pleasant experience for some reasons:

The soft and soothing music in the store was making me feel relaxed and slow down although the lighting was not up to the mark, it was feeling dull. The store also has a distinct smell because of various products and cleaning chemicals. The products were displayed in an organized manner and the display guided customers to where the particular products are found in different aisles. The price of each and every product was clearly displayed below the shelf. The option for self-checkout was also a good attempt to help customers to finish their shopping faster.

What could have been done better to communicate the brand positioning?

Walmart could enhance the shopping experience for instance, a number of empty shelves can be found in the store as they need to re-stock shelves overnight to be in a better position to meet the demand of customers throughout the day. The brand could also focus on improving the store designs and layouts as store lighting and sight lines need to be improved.  

Thanks for reading this article.