Originally posted on October 26, 2006 @ 9:03 am
So it seems the world’s largest retail store has relaunched Walmart.com after a 13-month overhaul with Open Source features.
Some of the new features on the site are built on open source OpenLazlo and Flash. I’m happy to find out that more and more companies are turning to open source applications but I’m not a huge fan of flash.
After spending some time looking over the new Walmart.com site, I’ve noticed some interesting interactive functions all over the place.
According to Debbie Kristofferson, Brisbane, California based Walmart.com vice president of user experience said:
The toy section aims to entertain kids, as well as help adults find detail product information and reviews to make the correct buying decisions.
It’s interesting to me that Wal-Mart has done so many things internet wise the past few months. All sorts of features and projects coming in and going like dust in the wind.
Notably missing from walmart.com is the HUB, Wal-Mart’s experiment in social networking that launched earlier this year to promote back-to-school season fashions for kids. The site was up for about six to eight weeks. Yeah, it sucked.
According to Raul Vazquez, walmart.com chief marketing officer:
The website changes are the first major revamp since walmart.com’s return to e-commerce in 2000, just in time for the holiday season where an estimated 300 million visitors will log onto the site during the next few months to search on the goods.
I personally don’t shop at WalMart.com or in the actual store that often, however around the holiday’s they do stay open 24 hours, which rocks if you need something at 2:00 am like World of Warcraft :)