Walmart customers can add a new car to their shopping lists in April, when the retail giant will begin selling autos at select locations.
The move into auto sales will be accomplished through a partnership between Walmart and CarSaver, an online auto retail platform. According to Automotive News, CarSaver will launch the program April 1 at 25 Walmart Supercenters in Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Oklahoma City.
"It is not uncommon for us to test different customer offerings in our stores using our leased spaces," Walmart spokeswoman Molly Blakeman said. "We currently have a one-store pilot underway with CarSaver in Stuart, Florida, and are still evaluating customer response."
Consumerist reported that 80 percent of the appointments set up at dealerships by Florida Walmart customers resulted in a sale.
CarSaver's online platform allows car buyers to search for the car they want, finance it and insure the vehicle through its website or a touch-screen kiosk, Automotive News reported. As part of the plan for Walmart, Carsaver is partnering with a variety of dealership groups, including AutoNation Inc., the largest retailer of new vehicles in the U.S. Ally Financial will be the preferred lender for the program.
CarSaver staff will be set up at CarSaver Centers established inside the Walmart Supercenters, where they can explain the program to customers and offer other assistance. Once customers have chosen their vehicles and applied for financing and insurance, they will be put in contact with a local certified dealership.
All dealerships in the program are within 15 miles of the Walmart stores from which buyers can shop, Automotive News said.
CarSaver CEO Sean Wolfington said the program is modeled after Costco’s auto sales program, which he managed for a dealership at which he worked more than 20 years ago.
“I was impressed with Costco’s program and how much easier it was for the dealership because consumers trusted Costco and appreciated the haggle-free pricing and hassle-free experience,” Wolfington said.
Fortune reported last year that Costco has become one of the nation's top auto sellers. In 2015, the warehouse chain sold more than 465,000 vehicles.
Sam's Club launched its own program later that year, Consumerist reported.
Amazon, which recently struck deals with auto parts suppliers to sell parts directly through its website, has also been selling autos online in Italy since last November, Business Insider reported. It could potentially launch a similar initiative in the U.S.
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