When I first read this last night I thought “great idea”. After talking to some parents and kids going to college this fall this morning, I am thinking “really great idea”. Wal-Mart (WMT) really nailed this one.
Here is the skinny. Wal-Mart has teamed op with Facebook to allow college student to team up online to design and stock their room. Now, the initial impulse may be “why would college kids shop at Wal-Mart? They may not, but who does the most back to school shopping? Mom and Dad and they love the idea of saving some bucks at Wal-Mart and having the goods delivered by Wal-Mart to the school (dads really like this idea). Let’s be honest here, does junior really care where most of the staple items in their room come from? No, after all a microwave is a microwave.
The kids can go online a figure out who will buy the computer printer, microwave, TV, DVD player, futon etc. and then go the Walmart.com and purchase the items. In one swoop they save mom and dad a shopping trip, stop the inevitable multiple items in a room problem that always happens and help dad in reducing stuff to pack in the car for the move. Brilliant.
This was just announced so the results this year may be limited but this will gain traction big time in the future. This may be the reason Wal-Mart is one of the few retailers with positive same store sales results this summer?
The parents I spoke to though it was a wonderful idea and the kids thought it was very “cool” because they will eliminate the anxiety of “missing” something they will really need in their room and the Wal-Mart site gives them ideas they may not have thought of..
Kudos to whoever came up with this one..