Walmart Already Does It and Costco Doesn't Dare: Confirmed, It's Underway

Walmart keeps moving pieces on the commerce board, while other giants in the sector, like Costco, still watch cautiously. The decisions the chain is making are not random, and they point to something much deeper. The change is already underway and will not go unnoticed by consumers or its competitors.

Starting this year, the company has taken another step in its commercial strategy. On one hand, it has begun closing numerous physical stores in various cities across the United States. On the other, it has launched a powerful technological enhancement that transforms how brands measure the impact of their advertising within the chain.

A System That Reveals the True Value of Advertising

Walmart has started offering its advertisers a tool that allows them to measure, precisely, the sales caused by sponsored search ads. This innovation comes through Walmart Connect, its retail media platform, which now incorporates a measurement focused on incremental sales. That is, the system identifies which sales are truly a direct result of the campaign.

Through its own consumption data and a test-and-control methodology, the company will allow brands to know if their advertising investment is working. They will be able to observe in real-time the performance of their campaigns, both online and in physical stores. This opens the door to more agile decisions, especially during key times like summer promotions or Christmas.

Additionally, brands will have the ability to redistribute their budgets more effectively, according to Chain Store Age. They will be able to prioritize products that perform better, eliminate unprofitable campaigns, and justify with concrete data every euro invested. This improvement will extend in the summer to advertisers managed directly by Walmart, with the goal of optimizing results to the maximum.

Selective Closures for a More Efficient Network

In parallel with the technological leap, Walmart has confirmed the closure of several stores in 2025. The closures have affected sales points in states like California, Georgia, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Far from being a symptom of crisis, these closures respond to a strategic reorganization of its commercial network.

The company seeks to reduce the saturation of stores in areas where profitability is low. With this, it concentrates resources in locations with higher demand and growth projection. This decision is part of a plan that has been underway for years, in which Walmart combines closures with more profitable new openings.

In fact, Walmart plans to open more than 150 new stores in the coming years. The goal is clear: to adapt to new consumer habits, which value both digital shopping and the experience in well-located physical stores. Meanwhile, competitors like Costco have yet to implement changes of this magnitude, Walmart is already doing so, and the difference will be evident.