Walmart upgrades 650 stores amid interest from high-stress shoppers

The company said in a Thursday (April 16) news release that it is investing in remodels at 650 stores, with 20 new store openings scheduled for this year and early 2027. According to the release, the renovations involve things like wider aisles, expanded pickup and delivery services — including express delivery — updated pharmacies and vision centers, and new “digital touchpoints.” Several of Walmart’s Neighborhood Markets are getting expanded deli and hot bar selections, improved lighting and fixtures, pharmacy delivery options and upgraded areas for fulfilling online grocery purchases. “Our goal is simple: we want shopping to feel easy, intuitive, and connected while continuing to deliver the everyday low prices our customers expect,” the company said. The upgrades are happening as America’s financially stressed shoppers are gravitating toward Walmart, as recent PYMNTS Intelligence research shows. According to the report “The New Checkout: Crimped Consumers Lean Into Online Retail and Digital Wallets,” 56% of high-stress online grocery shoppers said they’d made their most recent purchase at Walmart, versus 50% of low-stress shoppers. For in-store purchases, Walmart enjoyed a 37% share among high-stress grocery shoppers compared 26% among low-stress consumers. “The encouraging takeaway is that consumers are not standing still. They are adapting to ever-changing economic realities,” PYMNTS wrote. “The report shows more online grocery buying among financially stressed households, stronger use of digital wallets and a growing tendency to match shopping trips with merchants and payment methods that offer more visibility and flexibility.” The report also suggests that pressure doesn’t always equal fewer purchases. In fact, stressed shoppers will often spend more with each visit. Their last grocery purchase averaged $109, versus $95 for low-stress consumers. The gulf was even larger for retail and online retail purchases: $111 to $88 and $169 to $96, respectively. Meanwhile, Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said last week that the company’s marketplace is playing a large role in expanding its general merchandise business. Speaking at the JPMorgan 12th Annual Retail Roundup 2026, Rainey said that investing in general merchandise is “one of the major pillars of our strategy” and that the marketplace is “the vehicle by which we’ll do that,” per a transcript posted by Walmart. The marketplace business is growing at a 20% rate, with categories like home, hardlines and fashion, growing at a rate greater than 30%. “These are areas that we’ve been a little weaker in on a relative basis,” Rainey said of the fastest-growing categories. “We’ve talked about the need to grow our general merchandise assortment. This is a great opportunity to do that.”