Walmart invites you to E-Sport and shopping

All stationary retailers are faced with the challenge of persuading customers to visit the store regularly. And not just since yesterday. While Galeria-Kaufhof-Karstadt is pacing with its opponent Amazon to turn its stores into pick-up points for parcels, Walmart is taking a different path in the USA.

Retailers are using a global trend theme and combining it with their own products. What was once smiled at as a niche event by some nerds is now developing into a billion-dollar market whose growth seems to know no bounds at the moment. In sold-out halls, the public watches computer gamers dally, who are now reaping high prize money. We are talking about e-sports.

The company “Esports Arena”, which was only founded in 2015, is following this trend in the USA. Visitors can take part in daily tournaments there, but they can also play completely free. If the company’s plans go according to plan, the Esports arenas in the USA will establish a fast infrastructure for e-athletes.

Preferably in rural regions, Walmart has “Esports Arena” moved into its stores as part of a cooperation. The arenas at Walmart are equipped with a new gaming PC line from the dealer. Anyone who wants to bring such a machine home can order it exclusively on the dealer’s website. But Walmart doesn’t just advertise its hardware with the e-sports arenas. This allows customers to relax while shopping. And finally, the retailer also reckons with the hunger and thirst of the players that will set in over the duration of a tournament. Snacks and drinks can then be bought in the immediate vicinity.

Theresa Schleicher considers this approach promising in her “Retail Report 2020”. The book offers numerous practical examples of how retail is repositioning itself worldwide. Among other things, she takes a look at “Playful Stores”, deals with the boom of bargain days and investigates the question of what Generation Z expects from retail. The title can be ordered online for 150 euros.