Tencent to Cooperate with Walmart on Retail Business

(TechNode, June 07, 2018)

Tencent announced strategic cooperation with Walmart China on digital and smart retail. The cooperation will help the worlds’ largest brick-and-mortar retailer to expand digitally in China and expand the penetration of Tencent’s services such as mobile payments and mini programs. According to Tencent’s press release, the cooperation will focus on improving customer experiences, precision marketing, payment services and the efficiency of internal and external communications through WeChat Enterprise. It also aims to build a stronger membership system for Walmart high-end store Sam’s Club. Walmart China experimented with “smart stores” in March with Tencent mini program “Walmart Scan and Pay(扫玛购)” in Shenzhen, where customers can scan the bar code of the products with their own phone and pay. Now this mini program is available at Walmart stores in 28 cities and expected to cover more than 400 stores in China.