A Visit to Walmart: A Few Thoughts and Takeaways

In recent years, I’ve found myself visiting supermarkets less and less.

In the past, my regular stops were BHG near my home, Ole’ close to the office, and Hema. The BHG near my place closed about a year ago and has since been transformed into DTX. Although it still sells some grocery items, hardly anyone treats it as a traditional supermarket anymore—the format has changed too dramatically.

When traveling for work, I occasionally visit interesting local supermarkets. It has become a small but useful part of our consulting field research.

A few days ago in Shanghai, I noticed a Walmart near my hotel while taking a taxi. The building looked massive from the outside, so I decided to step in and take a look.

Walmart has become quite rare in Beijing, so this was probably my first visit in about five years. Walking in, I genuinely felt that everything looked unfamiliar—almost like meeting an old acquaintance who had completely changed.

In recent years, Walmart itself hasn’t attracted much attention, while Sam’s Club under the same group has been booming. As a result, I haven’t followed Walmart closely. What follows are simply some personal observations. For frequent shoppers, these may seem ordinary, and I may even sound a bit overly surprised—but here’s what stood out to me.

First, the oversized price tags really caught my eye.

This is something I’ve always liked about Sam’s Club as well. The prices are visible from a distance and instantly readable. Compared with other supermarkets, the difference isn’t just one or two font sizes—it’s almost like two different species. Not a comparison between adults and children, but between elephants and humans.

Second, the category signage is highly visible and intuitive.

Much like the pricing, Walmart’s category indicators are clear and prominent. In the past, finding specific items in large supermarkets often required effort, and I frequently had to ask staff for help. Walmart’s signage system significantly reduces that friction and makes navigation much easier.

Third, promotional materials are everywhere—and thoughtfully integrated.

For example, promotional messages are printed directly on refrigerator doors. Changes in display methods have also improved communication efficiency: packaging boxes double as display fixtures and marketing materials. Packaging, shelving, and promotion have effectively merged into one system.

Fourth, display strategies have clearly evolved.

Traditional big-box supermarkets relied heavily on tall shelves to maximize product count, while end-cap displays were often paid placements by brands. Today, shelves are noticeably lower, and island displays are far more common. This creates a more open visual experience and a more dynamic shopping journey—partly a response to the sharp decline in offline foot traffic.

At Walmart, it’s not just about lower shelves. There are many more island displays, and even the way products are arranged on shelves has changed. Items like socks and household cleaning products are displayed in ways that feel more accessible and visually engaging.

With so many island displays, entire aisles now consist almost entirely of these setups, rather than traditional shelving. The overall shopping experience feels more relaxed and comfortable.

Fifth, refrigerated and frozen products have increased significantly.

Post-pandemic, consumers tend to stock up more, household refrigerators have grown larger, and China’s cold-chain logistics have developed rapidly. As a result, the proportion of refrigerators and freezers in supermarkets has risen substantially.

Sixth, private-label products have expanded dramatically.

This is especially evident in food categories. Based on my rough on-site observation, Walmart’s private brand “Wo Ji Xian” now covers nearly all food and snack categories and likely accounts for about half of all SKUs. Notably, the packaging design of these private-label products is also very well executed.

I discussed this trend with clients last year. Across both online and offline channels, retailers are actively developing their own private brands. If traditional brands cannot build their own channel capabilities, or lack strong differentiation or technological barriers, they may eventually be reduced to contract manufacturers for distribution platforms.

Regardless of how this ultimately plays out, brands must prepare on two fronts. Otherwise, they risk being slowly boiled—without even realizing it.

Seventh, and perhaps most tellingly, foot traffic remains low.

Despite all these efforts, offline customer traffic has clearly declined. I visited around 8 p.m., and there were very few shoppers in the store. Most Walmart employees were busy packing online orders.

At that moment, it became easy to understand why platforms like Taobao, JD.com, and Meituan are fiercely competing for instant local retail. Meituan’s Xiaoxiang has grown rapidly in recent years and has become a powerful alternative to traditional big-box supermarkets.