Walmart is eliminating the most dreaded part of holiday shopping
- Walmart employees across the United States will be able to process shoppers' payments using mobile devices starting November 1.
- The new service, called Check Out With Me, is designed to help customers avoid one of the biggest frustrations with shopping in stores over the holidays: busy checkout lines.
- Walmart is also touting its newly updated website this holiday season, which now features more curated content and an expanded assortment of products.
Walmart wants to help shoppers avoid long checkout lines this holiday season.
For the first time, the company is giving employees in the busiest sections of its stores the power to process shoppers' purchases using mobile devices.
These employees will be able to swipe customers' credit or debit cards and provide paper receipts using Bluetooth printers strapped to their waists.
It's meant to allow shoppers purchasing a small number of items to bypass long lines at store registers.
Walmart started testing the service, called Check Out With Me, in the lawn and garden departments of 350 stores earlier this year.
Walmart is also touting its newly updated website this holiday season, which now features more curated content and an expanded assortment of products.
The company said it has added more than 2,000 brands to its site since last year, including more than 150 upscale fashion lines offered through a partnership with Lord & Taylor.
Walmart also said that its toy shop will feature 30% new toys in stores and 40% more toys online compared to last year.
Walmart has expanded its free two-day shipping offer to "millions more" items on Walmart.com this year as well. The shipping offer applies to orders over $35.
"This year, we relaunched Walmart.com, delivering customers a completely new shopping experience for whatever they are shopping for - whether they are purchasing a specific item or browsing our fashion and home assortment," said Scott Hilton, chief revenue officer of Walmart US e-commerce.
"The new site, combined with thousands of new brands, curated holiday solutions, and our free, two-day shipping as well as pickup offerings, will make it that much easier for customers to shop Walmart.com this holiday season."