Walmart Inc. Tuesday announced a partnership with Advance Auto Parts Inc., one of the largest aftermarket parts sales outlets in the United States, to create a specialty store for vehicles at Walmart.com.
"The new omnichannel shopping experience will give customers access to Advance's extensive portfolio of aftermarket parts, accessories and maintenance," adds Walmart, adding: "It will also include a comprehensive range of services in more than 2.500 Walmart Auto Centers in the US "The roll-out is expected to begin in the first half of 2019.
"We are absolutely committed to building a best-in-class omnichannel experience and Walmart is an undisputed omnichannel leader," wrote Darryl Carr, a spokesperson for Advance Auto Parts, in an e-mail. "Collaboration with Walmart enables us to share our extensive product offering and trusted advice with a larger number of DIY customers and supports our long-term strategic objectives."
The news comes a day after Walmart's competitive retailer Sears filed for bankruptcy of Chapter 11.
Carr did not directly acknowledge how collaboration with Walmart differs from the Amazon-Sears collaboration, but told Automotive News that "as the partnership progresses in 2019 and beyond, the companies are planning to work together to explore new fulfillment options that customers unparalleled convenience, including the future ability to pick up Advance orders on Walmart.com at both Walmart and Advance store locations. "He also said that Walmart customers will have access to added value content from Advance, which exploits nearly 6,400 stores worldwide.