Walmart to offer fast returns through mobile app

Walmart Inc. is offering speedy returns through their mobile app. File Photo by Ken Wolter/Shutterstock

Oct. 9 (UPI) — Walmart Inc., in an effort to upgrade its e-commerce business to compete with Amazon.com, announced a plan to streamline its returns policy using an app.

The retailer will launch Mobile Express Returns, a process by which a customer can return a purchased item by entering details into Walmart’s mobile app, then taking the item to a nearby store at his or her convenience. An app-only returns line will be created at stores for users.

Some customers who buy disposable products, like soap or the incorrect shade of lipstick, will be encouraged to use the app to obtain a refund, then throw the product away.

The process will be launched in November for returned items purchased through Walmart’s website. The company’s 4,700 stores in the United States will offer the service in 2018. The company has noted that 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store.

“Time has become the new currency in retail as much as saving money. It’s thinking about how we can create a more seamless shopping experience,” commented Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of WalmartServices and Digital Acceleration in a statement on Monday.

Walmart rival Amazon.com already has a test program, involving the availability of select Kohl’s stores in Chicago and Los Angeles, as dropoff points for returned products purchased through the Amazon website.

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