Roku, Walmart Team To Enable Direct On-Screen Streaming Purchases

Image Credit: Walmart

Author: Karlene Lukovitz Source: MediaPost

Walmart and Roku have formed an exclusive partnership to allow streaming viewers to shop and complete purchases of featured products on screen, for fulfillment by the world’s largest retailer.

The function eliminates the need for QR codes, which have produced disappointing results in Roku’s testing.

Making purchases requires using Roku’s payment system, Roku Pay. Pressing “OK” on a shoppable on-screen ad takes the user to checkout, where Roku Pay pre-populates their payment details. Tapping “OK” on the Walmart checkout page completes the order. Walmart then emails a purchase confirmation with shipping, return and customer support information.

Ad buys will be made through Roku’s OneView platform, with Roku’s ad-tech stack providing targeting, optimization and measurement.

Walmart analytics will help tailor ecommerce offerings to customers, including during the viewing experience.

Marketers will also have the option of using Roku Brand Studio to design custom creative and branded content designed for TV streaming and shopping.  

“We’re working to connect with customers where they are already spending time, shortening the distance from discovery and inspiration to purchase,” Walmart CMO William White said in announcing the deal. “No one has cracked the code around shoppability, until now. By working with Roku, we’re the first-to-market retailer to bring customers a new T-commerce experience and seamless checkout on the largest screen in their homes —their TV.”

“We’re making shopping on TV as easy as it is on social,” added Peter Hamilton, Roku head of TV commerce.

Millions of consumers are already familiar with buying streaming service subscriptions and Roku devices using Roku remotes, and the commerce venture is a natural extension of that, noted Hamilton.

The partnership takes Roku’s ability to let streaming viewers click “OK” inside an ad, unveiled during its NewFronts presentation in May, to the next level. Roku and Walmart said they will continue to test and innovate to “evolve” the consumer experience.

Roku’s shares, which have dropped by more than 65% year-to-date, rose by nearly 5% in premarket trading on Friday after the deal’s announcement, and Walmart’s shares rose 0.3%, reports MarketWatch.