Walmart.com Launches New & Improved Website and Highlights Wal-Mart's Transformation to Enhance the Customer Experience

BRISBANE, Calif., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announces the launch of the new and improved Walmart.com -- an extensive site redesign that will change the way millions of customers shop Wal-Mart online, now available at http://www.walmart.com/ . The newly enhanced online store is one of the most dramatic, all-encompassing site redesigns in the online retail industry within the last several years. Also, it's part of Wal-Mart's larger commitment to upgrade a significant portion of its nationwide stores over the next year, and enhance the overall customer experience.

"As our company's most visible and accessible store, the new and improved Walmart.com underscores our commitment to enhance the overall customer experience -- both online and in our stores -- and also supports the evolution of the Wal-Mart brand," said John Fleming, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Given that half of Wal-Mart store shoppers with Internet access also visit Walmart.com,* our enhanced online store signals a big step in our transformation to become more relevant to our customers -- especially in how they shop for quality, information and value at Wal-Mart."

The site redesign is a sweeping overhaul that touches 1,000 categories and more than 2 million pages at Walmart.com, with dramatic new designs of the Home, Apparel and Electronics departments. It also includes the following upgrades and innovations:

  --  New Look & Feel - Features larger images, clean, bold design, and
      clear, crisp messages.
  --  Fewer Clicks -  Allows for fewer than 4 clicks to product checkout
      from any starting point.
  --  Rich Interactive Content -Interactive elements on more than 5,000 site
      pages allow users to easily obtain information without going to
      another page. For example, a new "peel to reveal" function marries the
      online world with the way customers use traditional magazines by
      allowing them to click a "peel" option that reveals additional
      content.
  --  Smart Home & Apparel Solutions - Comprehensive home and apparel
      collections tell an inspiring story, and enable users to shop by room
      collection or apparel outfit.
  --  CNET Information - Industry-leading CNET buying guides were added so
      that customers can research information online and make more informed
      purchase decisions.

"Our site redesign brings shopping online at Wal-Mart to a whole new level," said Carter Cast, chief executive officer for Walmart.com. "We're making it easy, fun and smart to shop Walmart.com under the canopy of a clean, bold design with interactive features that customers may not expect from us."

Prior to the site redesign, Walmart.com conducted a thorough customer research process, including eye-tracking studies, to better understand its online customers and ultimately deliver a superior online shopping experience. The results found that study participants dramatically improved their perception of the Wal-Mart brand when presented with visuals of the redesigned online store.

"Most important, our site redesign aims to emotionally inspire and present solutions and ideas to our customers in a way that emphasizes quality, enriches lifestyles, and saves time and money," added Cast.

Hear more about the site redesign when Walmart.com hosts a special, live webcast today at 11:30 a.m. (EDT); the webcast will include an interactive Q&A session with Carter Cast (Walmart.com CEO) and Raul Vazquez (Walmart.com CMO). To register for the live webcast, go to http://www.videonewswire.com/walmart/event.html .

  * Source: Gallup Consumer Trak, August 2006

  About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  (NYSE: WMT) 

Every week, more than 176 million customers visit Wal-Mart stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, SAM'S CLUBs or a subsidiary location in 15 countries around the world. In each of the countries where Wal-Mart operates, the company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally. Wal-Mart is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to these local communities. To learn more, visit http://www.walmartfacts.com/, http://www.walmart.com/ or http://www.walmartfoundation.org/ .

Contact: Walmart.com

Amy Colella (650-837-5232)