How Samsung is Helping Walmart Transform the Retail Associate Experience

Landmark deal between Walmart and Samsung will put Galaxy XCover Pro smartphones in the hands of 740,000 Walmart store associates across the U.S.

By Hamshy Raveendran, Head of Product Management and Go To Market, Mobile B2B Business, Samsung Electronics Americas

At Samsung Electronics, we’re passionate about bringing game-changing innovation and value to our enterprise customers. And we’re proud to equip these companies with the best-in-class technology and services they need to increase mobility, offer seamless digital experiences, and keep their information safe. 

Our new, landmark deal with Walmart is the latest example. Over the next few months, we’re putting Galaxy XCover Pro smartphones in the hands of 740,000 Walmart store associates across the U.S. — to use at work and at home. This is our largest mobile enterprise deal ever in the U.S., and we’re thrilled to help Walmart provide new and enhanced experiences for their associates and customers.

The journey to making Walmart’s Connected Associate vision a reality
This exciting deal is the culmination of a full year of planning and piloting. Walmart approached us in the spring of 2020 at a time when their stores were busier than ever, and associates were working hard to ensure a safe shopping experience during the pandemic.

Together, we discussed what they call the “Connected Associate” initiative — a vision to empower Walmart associates by putting everything they need in the palm of their hands. We learned Walmart Global Tech was building a new app in-house to help associates simplify daily tasks, serve customers and plan for life outside of work. Then, we took action, even shadowing associates to learn how they work, and what tools could help them work better. These insights revealed the need for an agile mobile device – with Walmart’s integrated custom application – to take employee engagement and customer care to new heights.

Enter the Galaxy XCover Pro.

A new way to work with the Galaxy XCover Pro
The Galaxy XCover Pro delivers a rugged and sleek, single device solution. It builds on Samsung’s legacy of high-powered smartphone features, including an immersive display, long-lasting battery, lightweight and durable design, and powerful camera. And, defense-grade security with the Samsung Knox platform, which protects you and your device from the chip level, up.

The Samsung Knox Suite includes tools to help enterprises like Walmart with the resources necessary to manage a deployment of this size. These include automated enrollment, firmware management, device and Wi-Fi network analytics, loss prevention and deep device customization. By leveraging our industry-leading platform, Walmart is ensuring that associates will have the tools they need to simplify daily tasks.

We’ve also customized the Galaxy XCover Pro so that Walmart associates can enjoy using their smartphone to improve their day — both in and outside of work. While they’re on the clock, the Galaxy XCover Pro will create new, convenient ways for them to work, from mobile clock-in and accessing schedules, to managing inventory and using Galaxy X Cover Pro’s camera, which we’ve optimized to work seamlessly with Walmart’s barcode scanning process. During their work shift, Walmart associates can also tap a co-worker's name and initiate a push-to-talk conversation straight from the Galaxy XCover Pro by squeezing the physical side key.

Until now, Walmart associates had to use different devices throughout their shift, from barcode scanners to walkie-talkies. The Galaxy XCover Pro will enable efficiency with entirely new workflows and additional options.

Security for work use, privacy for personal use
Beyond its sheer scale and workflow innovation, another aspect that sets Samsung and, specifically the Galaxy XCover Pro, apart is Walmart’s decision to enable its associates to take their devices home, a great perk for employees. As Kellie Romack, Walmart’s vice president for associate experience and customer care, says, “We wanted our associates to use this device all day to serve customers, but then also use it as their personal device if they chose.”

To enable this, Samsung worked with the Walmart team to customize and configure the Galaxy XCover Pro devices. With Samsung Knox, we can create entirely separate work and personal profiles, allowing work applications to stay secure, and personal usage to stay private.

Better experiences for all with one device
Improving the employee experience leads to a better customer experience, too. This is something Samsung can help to deliver. Just as Walmart has spent the past decade designing a seamless experience between online and in-store to improve the customer journey, the company is now bridging gaps between work and home to improve the employee journey. That’s what Samsung mobile technology can do: create seamless connections and more efficient and enjoyable experiences.

This is just the beginning of how we can work with our enterprise customers to empower and delight employees, and to lead the industry in leveraging mobility to transform how retail stores operate.