Walmart’s Expands Online Shopping to Mexico, and Beyond

by · WWD
Brandon Bell via Getty Images

Walmart is officially breaking down borders for digital shoppers. In a strategic move, the retail giant said in a statement that it has opened its primary domestic website, Walmart.com, to international consumers. Mexico gets first access.

Through this rollout, shoppers across the border can seamlessly browse and buy hundreds of thousands of items across major categories such as electronics, apparel and home goods that were previously locked behind regional barriers.

The launch marks a massive expansion of Walmart’s global marketplace. To make the cross-border friction disappear, Walmart said it is calculating all estimated duties, taxes and shipping fees directly at the digital checkout line. No surprise fees.

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“We’re focused on making it easy for customers to access an expanded assortment of products,” said Manish Joneja, senior vice president of Walmart Marketplace at Walmart Inc. “This is a milestone in the evolution of how people access Walmart.com’s marketplace assortment around the world, and we’re excited to bring it to Mexico first.”

The strategy relies heavily on leveraging Walmart’s existing, highly optimized U.S. logistics infrastructure. Established global carriers will handle the heavy lifting of transit and customs clearance to ensure packages actually arrive on time. They have big plans. While Mexico serves as the initial testing ground, the company explicitly intends to scale this international shipping framework to additional global markets down the road.

To kick off the launch, Walmart said they are even dangling a classic retail carrot: free shipping to Mexico on eligible orders over $35. It is a bold play to capture global e-commerce market share by turning a local website into a worldwide storefront.

Walmart Mexico, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, is the largest retail company in Mexico. It currently operates Walmart hypermarkets, Bodega Aurrera discount stores, Superama supermarkets, Walmart Express supermarkets and Sam’s Clubs.

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