Wal-Mart in the Auto Retailing Business?

Wal-Mart won’t offer to sell you an auto directly, nor will it partner directly with car dealers but they will lease space in select stores to its new partner, CarSaver, an online auto retail website. This is the same way it leases space to McDonald’s and other companies. CarSaver will then introduce customers with the auto dealerships and loan specialists that it has partnered with, specifically AutoNation Inc. and Ally Financial.

CarSaver’s program permits clients to structure deals with nearby dealerships that CarSaver has confirmed, and also loan specialists and safety net providers, from Wal-Mart Supercenters. Up until now, CarSaver has had a space in a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Stuart, Fla., for around one year, Wal-Mart representative Molly Blakeman said.

“It is not uncommon for us to test different customer offerings in our stores using our leased spaces. We currently have a one-store pilot underway with CarSaver in Stuart, Fla., and are still evaluating customer response,” Blakeman said. Blakeman also said she couldn’t affirm that CarSaver will launch in different markets. Yet, CarSaver and AutoNation a week ago affirmed the program will launch in Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Oklahoma City on April 1.

This won’t be Wal-Mart’s first invasion into connecting its clients with autos and trucks. The organization previously allowed certain Sam’s Club stores to host a third-party vehicle shopping site called TrueCar. While Wal-Mart is not directly a new auto retailer, they’ll soon have them readily available to purchase from certain locations throughout the US. This means you’ll be able to not only buy your clothes and groceries, you’ll also now be able to buy your car at Walmart…God only knows what they’ll be offering next. Houses perhaps?

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