Canton Walmart Remodel Coming Soon

CANTON, MI — Grocery shoppers visiting Walmart’s Michigan Avenue store will notice a number of changes later this year. The retail giant is giving a facelift to a dozen Michigan Walmarts to meet changing consumer trends, such as online ordering with store pickup.

"We're moving faster to combine our digital and physical assets to make shopping easier and more enjoyable for customers," President and CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement to investors.

Changes will include moving in-store pickup areas to the front of the store; testing online grocery ordering with in-store pickup in three southeast Michigan markets; and creating a relaxing lounge-like area for shoppers picking up online orders, MLive reported. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer is also planning on increasing the number of fresh and organic items as well as expanding several departments, such as produce, deli, bakery and baby.

"Some of these are little things you may not notice when you walk into the store," Anne Hatfield, director of communications for the chain, told MLive. "Shopping is changing; shoppers' habits are changing. We need to make sure we're keeping up."

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Groceries are increasingly important to Walmart, accounting for 50 percent of its sales, MLive reported. Shopper convenience is a major new trend in the industry, which features tight profit margins and stiff competition from well-established brands like Kroger and Meijer. Walmart competitors like Aldi and Meijer are already redoing many of their stores for the same reasons.

"With remodels, you'll see more interaction with products," Hatfield told MLive. The interaction is an effort to improve customer engagement. It will mean little things, like such as a “stroller garage,” where shoppers can try out potential strollers for their kids. "You'll get a better sense of what you're buying," Hatfield said.

Photo by Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images News / Getty Images