Walmart throws weight into home improvement with digital campaign

New York -- The world’s largest retailer is taking steps to display its home-improvement prowess through a digital marketing campaign centered on a “Projects Made Simple” area at Walmart.com.



The area is organized by home improvement project. For instance: how to stain a deck, install a water filter system, caulk a window or install a towel bar. In the deck video, an unidentified handy man narrator explains, “All the tools are available at Walmart to get you going.”



The website also lets users download a project sheet with tips and instructions.



Walmart has long dealt in home improvement products, but the latest effort e-blasted to customers with the invitation to “Explore Walmart’s complete solution to make home do-it-yourself projects simple” marks an aggressive change for DIY. The e-blast listed the three key features of the online tool: checklists, instructions and how-to videos.



Home-improvement specialists of all sizes have long felt insulated from competition from the mass retail channel due to specialized training and product knowledge of employees on the sales floor -- sophistication that they feel stores such as Walmart cannot match. But even if a more focused campaign from Walmart moves the perception needle even slightly, the results could be dramatic given Walmart’s sheer size.