Will Santa bring shoppers to Walmart this Christmas?

Santa definitely drives traffic to the mall, but will he bring people to a Walmart Supercenter?

According to research by the International Council of Shopping Centers, 50 percent of parents with kids 13 or younger plan to make a trip to a shopping mall specifically to meet Santa. Walmart is hoping to put Kris Kringle’s magic to work by stationing the jolly old fellow at 3,600 of its stores on the weekends of Dec. 4-5 and 12-13.

The addition of Santa is part of Walmart’s "holiday retailtainment" strategy for the season that will include carols on in-store radio and garden centers turned into "winter wonderlands," according to Judith McKenna, COO of Walmart U.S.

"I want customers to be in awe when they see what we have to offer as they walk into our stores," said Ms. McKenna in a statement.

"Even though it’s a gimmick, Santa always results in more foot traffic," Hitha Herzog, chief research officer at H Squared Research, told NBC News. "Any time you give people a reason to come to the store other than, for example, to buy a television, it’s always going to be a draw. When you have someone stay within the confines of your store for a longer time, the percentage of purchases can increase tenfold."

Holiday Walmart

Photo: Walmart

Just putting Santas in a store may not be enough to get people to visit Walmart, according to Santa Bob Elkin, president and CEO of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.

"Some Santas have been at the same shopping center for 10, 15 or 20 years," Mr. Elkin told Adweek. "People who came as kids now bring their own kids."

BrainTrust

"By adding Santas at Walmart, the company is giving customers one more reason to visit and even start a family tradition. Walmart is adding another element to the experience during the holidays."

Mohamed Amer, PhD

Independent Board Member, Investor and Startup Advisor


Discussion Questions

Will the addition of Santas at Walmart help boost traffic and sales for the retailer this holiday selling season? Are there any best practices for Santa deployment that you can suggest?

Poll

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Bob Phibbs
Bob Phibbs
8 years ago

As I said to NBC, in the age of social media the move will gain attention even from those who don’t venture near a Walmart. Families will be sharing their photos on Facebook and saying that they saw Santa at Walmart — even if they visit several around town. It’s a smart move. It talks to the human spirit of the holidays.

And to those deriding it is a gimmick — how is that different from REI closing on Black Friday? It’s all part of the process of trying to get customers to put down the smartphone, get in their cars through rain, snow or heat, find a parking place and visit their stores.

I think anything that gets them to do that to experience a “real” Santa is great.

You can’t get a warm hug from an iPad.

Max Goldberg
Max Goldberg
8 years ago

Creating a memorable retail experience resonates with consumers, so bringing Santa to Walmart and enhancing the in-store experience, combined with low prices, should be a consumer magnet. Love them or hate them, you have to salute Walmart for doing more to attract business over the holiday season.

Mohamed Amer
Mohamed Amer
8 years ago

By adding Santas at Walmart, the company is giving customers one more reason to visit and even start a family tradition. Walmart is adding another element to the experience during the holidays.

Yes, it should boost store traffic and by extension sales. The challenge will be extending that holiday spirit throughout the store experience as well as to the company’s online presence.

Tom Redd
Tom Redd
8 years ago

Santa will boost all things. Even wild liberals will take their kids to Walmart if the big man is there. Kids know that Santa likes Walmart and is there because Walmart stores have large roofs and thus it is easier to land his sleigh there. I knew that!

Great push for Walmart — the retailer that supports a majority of America’s consumers.

Patricia Vekich Waldron
Patricia Vekich Waldron
8 years ago

I think it’s a perfect example of curating experiences (that you cannot easily do online) in stores to bring in clients and differentiate themselves. Being the low-price leader is not a sustainable strategy, especially given the number of options consumers have in buying products today.

Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly
8 years ago

In-store experience adds an important dimension to retail brands. I think I read that in RetailWire this week! Execution is key. Wexner said, “Retail is detail.”

What could go wrong with promising a Santa live and in person in thousands of stores across the U.S.? Plenty. Is this sort of in-store activation in Walmart’s skill set? Not so much.

Theoretically, this is a great idea. Historically this is something department stores would offer. Walmart needs to do something to enliven its deadly dull, gray stores. I think Santa is an icon of high relevance to the Walmart constituency. Certainly Target has laid claim to moms, Walmart needs to relevantly react. Done right, this will add value to the Walmart shopping experience.

As we are known to say, “retail ain’t for sissies!”

Ed Rosenbaum
Ed Rosenbaum
8 years ago

Excellent plan to bring in more foot traffic. I would also add that background music set to the time of year will tend to keep the customer in the store longer, which adds to the bottom line when they check out. Everyone is a winner.

Not all parents can/do take their children to a shopping mall. Those that don’t will certainly find Walmart to be a good alternative. Winner again.

Roy White
Roy White
8 years ago

Santas are a nice idea, and will stimulate some traffic very likely. However, Walmart has been challenged to develop total sales and comp store sales for some time. Shoppers may no longer be so strongly committed to one-stop shopping (data indicates that multiple channel shopping is on the upswing) and no so eager to trek through a large footprint. And this is a real challenge given that Walmart is the ultimate large-footprint operator in the world, and has build a corporate culture that doesn’t necessarily know any other way. Boosting sales will depend on successful development of their online sales and innovation in store design.

Naomi K. Shapiro
Naomi K. Shapiro
8 years ago

Ho ho ho! Yes! What could be better than Santa at Walmart where there are all the wonderful toys and things for everyone in the family — at great prices of course. And the physical presence in the store will attract customers, who will spend more time, and buy more products. Merry Christmas Walmart!

Larry Corda
Larry Corda
8 years ago

No doubt Santa will draw a crowd, but will it help to increase sales? It’s not easy Christmas shopping with kids, so will the parents just bring their kids to see Santa and leave? Will parents want to wait in line with their children for Santa and then once again to check out? Will customers without their children or people that don’t have any children avoid the store during these hours?