Walmart and Roku Bring Commerce to TV Ads

Walmart and Roku Inc. have established a first-of-its-kind TV streaming partnership, under which Walmart will be the exclusive retailer enabling streamers to buy featured products fulfilled by Walmart directly on Roku. The partnership aims to change the way that customers interact with and shop TV and video content by permitting purchase directly at the time of inspiration.

“We’re working to connect with customers where they are already spending time, shortening the distance from discovery and inspiration to purchase,” said William White, chief marketing officer at Walmart. “No one has cracked the code around video shoppability. By working with Roku, we’re the first to market retailer to bring customers a new shoppable experience and seamless checkout on the largest screen in their homes – their TV.”

Viewers just press “OK” with their remote on a shoppable ad and move to checkout, with their payment details pre-populated from Roku Pay, Roku’s payments platform. Once there, tapping “OK” on the Walmart checkout page places the order. A Walmart purchase confirmation is then emailed with shipping, return and support information.

“We’re making shopping on TV as easy as it is on social,” noted Peter Hamilton, head of TV commerce, at San Jose, Calif.-based Roku. “For years, streamers have purchased new Roku devices and signed up for millions of subscriptions with their Roku remote. Streaming commerce brings that same ease and convenience to marketers and shoppers.”

OneView, Roku’s ad-buying platform for TV streaming, will have the exclusive ability to activate and measure the shoppable ads. Further, marketers will be able to use Roku Brand Studio to design custom creative and branded content built for TV streaming and shopping.

Future versions of the pilot will seek to create deeper commerce experiences that meet customers where they are.

Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. The company employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.