By Rich Lehrfeld, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Walmart Connect

At Walmart, we’ve always been committed to saving our customers and members time and money. And as their needs evolve, we evolve right alongside them. That’s why we’re excited to introduce an exclusive Walmart+ member perk – Walmart Rewards – a new program that allows suppliers to help Walmart+ members earn additional savings toward future Walmart purchases, both in-store and online. As Walmart+ members search for products on Walmart.com or the Walmart app, they’ll see an option to add item rewards, which will appear on hundreds of bestselling items – from groceries to household goods to personal care and beyond.

Our Walmart Connect data shows that customers are open to discovering new deals. In fact, 67% of surveyed customers say they will spend more time looking for a discount, due to inflation, and 32% plan to switch brands1. Through a Sponsored Products campaign, advertisers can seamlessly amplify their products and maximize engagement with Walmart customers and members looking to discover and purchase new products. With the introduction of Walmart Rewards, we will be integrating item rewards into these Sponsored Product ads in the same format as organic search result listings, maintaining a cohesive user experience. These item rewards will appear in search in-grid placements for logged in Walmart+ members. Combining the power of Sponsored Products with item-specific rewards will enable suppliers to reap the benefits of both marketing strategies and help them to better engage with members and provide even deeper savings. And today, perhaps more than ever before, unlocking this value is critical.

While Walmart advertisers will continue to purchase ads through Walmart Connect, these item rewards will be sourced and fueled by the Ibotta Performance Network (IPN). Advertisers must work directly with Ibotta to set up an item rewards offer that is available nationally and at other retailers (not Walmart exclusive).  Existing Walmart suppliers who want to get started can complete this form, and will receive follow-up communications from Ibotta.

We’ve always been committed to partnering with our suppliers to help our members save time and money. Combining the power of Sponsored Products with Walmart Rewards enables suppliers to play an even bigger role in this.