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Dominick Reuter at a newly renovated Walmart in Wisconsin
I visited the newly renovated Walmart in the Milwaukee suburb of Germantown, Wisconsin.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Earlier in November, Walmart celebrated the grand reopening of 117 stores across 30 states that it had spent nearly a year redesigning into stores "of the future."

The company said it spent more than $500 million on the project — or an average of about $4.3 million per store — widening aisles, enhancing signage, expanding self-checkout zones, and much more.

I decided to visit the one updated supercenter in Wisconsin — location No. 1515 — in the Milwaukee suburb of Germantown to see the changes for myself.

Some features, such as new signage and wider aisles, were a noticeable improvement, but several areas didn't look finished yet.

Here's what I saw.

The first thing I noticed was a fenced-off area near the Outdoors section.
Fencing surrounds a construction zone in a Walmart parking lot.
A construction zone in the Walmart parking lot.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

The fence was covered with a banner that had a description of the upgrade project in Spanish — but, from what I saw, not in English. "We are improving how you shop at Walmart," one of the banners said.

Inside, the store was brightly lit and more spacious than other Walmarts I’ve been to.
The grocery section at a newly renovated Walmart
The entrance to the grocery section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

The sales floor was impressively tidy for the Monday after the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

There was one assisted-checkout area flanked by two self-checkout zones.
The assisted checkout area of a Walmart.
The traditional checkout lanes.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Most shoppers I saw seemed to prefer the self-service option.

I started my lap around the store on the grocery side, where shopping carts had ample room to navigate around fresh-produce displays.
The produce section of Walmart
The produce section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Some items had low quantities, but I find that grocery stores often must play catch-up with restocking on Monday mornings.

The larger signage really stood out.
The meat section at Walmart
The meat section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Walmart made a point to highlight its signage in its promo materials, and the large blue-and-white lettering made it easy to see where certain products were from afar.

There were also workers filling blue bins on carts for online orders.
Workers load bins with online grocery orders
Workers load bins with online grocery orders.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Walmart is doubling down on using stores to fulfill e-commerce orders, and the renovations include several behind-the-scenes expansions to facilitate that strategy.

The aisles were also noticeably wider.
A grocery aisle at Walmart
The redesign has widened many aisles — shoppers can now worry less about getting around each other.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

It looked like at least three carts could fit side-by-side, and the extra space really adds to the sense of openness.

I also kept my eye out for the new section displays.
A baby section display at Walmart
A nursery showcase.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Walmart says the showcases will allow shoppers to touch and feel more products before buying.

Scanning the QR code opened the Walmart app.
A screenshot of a QR code activation
A screenshot of my phone responding to the QR code.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

The app featured a collection of items, some of which were in the display, and others that customers could order online.

The product trays at some of the showcase displays seemed picked over.
A housewares showcase at Walmart
A model living-room setup.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I can understand what the planners had in mind with these little bins for featured accessories, but in practical terms, that also means one more spot that employees must keep adequately stocked and accurately labeled.

Most electronics merchandise was locked in shiny new sliding-glass cabinets.
Electronics locked in glass display cabinets
The electronics section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I did see a Bluetooth speaker on sale that I would have bought on impulse, but I didn't want to ask an associate to unlock the door — a fundamental conundrum of modern retail.

This Reebok apparel section was one of a few brand-partnership areas.
A Reebok apparel section at Walmart
One of the brand-partnership areas that the store redesign accounts for.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

The brand partnerships are one of several cues the redesign borrows from Target, which has similar in-store presentations with Levi's, Ulta Beauty, and more.

One more note about the signage — you really could read it from halfway across the store.
New signage in a Walmart supercenter
Signage for other departments seen from the children's-apparel section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I was impressed with the combination of large text and clear sight lines that helped me quickly see where various sections were from almost anywhere in the building.

The tallest shelving was in the seasonal section and another area near the middle of the floor.
The seasonal section at Walmart
The seasonal section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

While the taller shelves would be typical for a regular Walmart store, they really illustrate just how much more open the space feels with shorter fixtures.

This banner was another sign that the work was still in progress.
A banner covers an area under construction at Walmart
There still seems to be some construction that needs to be finished.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

There was also a placeholder on the banner where a QR code for a free trial for Walmart+ would go, but the code was missing.

Christmas trees and decorations took over the Outdoors section.
Artificial Christmas trees for sale at Walmart
Artificial Christmas trees for sale.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Behind the trees, a seemingly temporary dividing wall made of plywood set off an area that was still under construction.

Shelves in the cosmetics section had thousands of little lights to brighten up the display.
The cosmetics aisle at Walmart
A cosmetics display with the new lights.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I've not seen this kind of lighting integrated into the shelving in many big-box stores, but it helped give the tiny products a bit of pop.

Walmart is also borrowing a page from Target’s playbook with the new "Dollar Shop."
The new dollar shop section at Walmart
Seasonal decor at the front of the store in its new "Dollar Shop."

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Similar to how Target organizes its stores, the section near the front entrance is filled with seasonal and decorative items for $5 or less each, but I wasn't convinced the items were all that good of a value. There's often a better-quality product for a similar price if you take a few more steps into the store.

Another Target-style addition is the new "Grab & Go" section.
The new grab & go section at Walmart
The new Grab & Go section.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Mostly stocked with drinks, bagged chips, and single-serving snacks, this section had a little less variety than I was expecting: It seemed like more of a souped-up checkout-lane offering than a mini convenience store.

On my way out, I noticed a poster for a new map feature.
The cart corral at Walmart
The cart corral, with posters for a new map feature.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

In its announcement of the renovations, Walmart hyped up the new hybrid digital-physical shopping-experience features, in this case an in-app map to help you find items in the store. As it happened, the map is also still "under construction," so to speak.

Another thing I noticed, while walking around the store: This location is still using the old-style shopping carts.
A Walmart shopping cart
Walmart does not seem to be rolling out new carts at its stores en masse.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

A new style of shopping cart has been rolling out to stores across the country for the past few years. One would think Walmart might want the latest and greatest in cart tech for their newly remodeled stores, but who knows?

All told, this remodel will bring welcome changes for Walmart shoppers and especially help the retailer attract new customers.
The Walmart supercenter in Germantown, Wisconsin
The remodel should help Walmart attract new customers.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

If I lived between a remodeled location and an unremodeled one, I'd certainly prefer to go to the newer-style store. At the same time, if this Milwaukee location is any indication, other remodeled stores may still have a few loose ends to tie up a month after the official "grand re-opening."

Here are all the 117 Walmart locations featuring the redesign
An aerial view of Walmart's redesigned store
There are so far 117 locations with this redesign across the US.

Walmart

Alabama

Birmingham (Store No. 762)

Gardendale (Store No. 1201)

Huntsville (N) (Store No. 433)

Calera (Store No. 3271)

Northport (Store No. 2306)

Winfield (Store No. 362)

Dothan (Store No. 2534)

Arkansas

Jonesboro (Store No. 128)

Arizona

Coolidge (Store No. 2778)

Phoenix (Store No. 5331)

California

La Puente (Store No. 3133)

Stanton (Store No. 4134)

Florida

Pensacola (Store No. 1222)

DeLand (Store No. 860)

Lake Worth (Store No. 5759)

Orlando (Store No. 5179)

Orlando (Oak Ridge) (Store No. 5871)

Orlando (Stable) (Store No. 5875)

Orlando (Store No. 3617)

Orlando (Turkey Lake) (Store No. 4332)

Winter Springs (Store No. 5132)

Englewood (Store No. 1874)

Cape Coral (Store No. 6941)

Fort Walton Beach (Store No. 919)

Georgia

Lithia Springs (Store No. 3205)

Americus (Store No. 758)

Cartersville (Store No. 615)

Locust Grove (Store No. 5709)

Iowa

Clinton (Store No. 2889)

Illinois

Savoy (Store No. 3255)

Indiana

Muncie (Store No. 3747)

Columbus (N) (Store No. 4216)

Greensburg (Store No. 1180)

Goshen (Store No. 1378)

Lafayette (Store No. 1547)

Princeton (Store No. 1783)

Avon (Store No. 2786)

Crawfordsville (Store No. 1655)

Kentucky

Mayfield (Store No. 430)

Middlesboro (Store No. 739)

Louisiana

Baton Rouge (Burbank) (Store No. 4683)

Baton Rouge (Store No. 839)

Harvey (Store No. 5722)

Deridder (Store No. 505)

Shreveport (Store No. 450)

Baker (Store No. 1102)

Massachusetts

Worcester (Store No. 4387)

Maine

Lincoln (Store No. 1919)

Michigan

Roseville (Store No. 2959)

Dearborn (Store No. 4383)

Livonia (N) (Store No. 5844)

Minnesota

Bloomington (Store No. 2198)

Missouri

West Plains (Store No. 15)

Jackson (Store No. 122)

Kennett (Store No. 190)

Dexter (Store No. 30)

Mississippi

Natchez (Store No. 874)

Amory (Store No. 118)

North Carolina

Henderson (Store No. 2256)

Murphy (Store No. 515)

Gastonia (W) (Store No. 5298)

Washington (Store No. 1354)

Denver (Store No. 4274)

High Point (Store No. 1613)

Clayton (Store No. 5046)

Weaverville (Store No. 4334)

North Dakota

Devils Lake (Store No. 1695)

New Jersey

Howell (Store No. 2195)

Ohio

Oregon (Store No. 5029)

Holland (Store No. 3445)

Dublin (Store No. 2471)

Cincinnati (Evendale) (Store No. 3749)

Oklahoma

Duncan (Store No. 1116)

Choctaw (Store No. 4195)

Ardmore (Store No. 129)

Lawton (Store No. 269)

Pennsylvania

Baden (Store No. 4643)

Delmont (Store No. 3228)

Clarion (Store No. 2540)

South Carolina

Summerville (E) (Store No. 1037)

Orangeburg (Store No. 616)

Greenwood (Store No. 1382)

Tennessee

Antioch (Store No. 5058)

Cordova (Store No. 2322)

Memphis (Store No. 6807)

Nashville (Store No. 4435)

Nashville (Store No. 5119)

Nashville (Harding) (Store No. 3717)

Nashville (S) (Store No. 688)

Jefferson City (Store No. 724)

Millington (Store No. 94)

Knoxville (E) (Store No. 2310)

Knoxville (SE) (Store No. 1320)

Texas

Arlington (Store No. 2977)

Dallas (Store No. 2427)

Dallas (Ledbetter) (Store No. 3014)

Stafford (Store No. 915)

San Antonio (Store No. 4131)

Waco (Store No. 5389)

Garland (Store No. 1800)

Livingston (Store No. 275)

Port Arthur (Store No. 408)

Mesquite (Store No. 5824)

Mission (Bryan) (Store No. 6850)

Bay City (Store No. 1405)

Desoto (Store No. 3432)

Amarillo (NW) (Store No. 5216)

Humble (Store No. 7309)

Liberty (Store No. 1186)

Utah

Centerville (Store No. 3366)

Virginia

Henrico (Store No. 7032)

Wytheville (Store No. 3270)

Staunton (Store No. 1344)

Chesapeake (S) (Store No. 3644)

Norton (Store No. 1302)

Washington

Yelm (Store No. 3705)

Wisconsin

Germantown (Store No. 1515)

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Retail, walmart, shopping-experience, Retail
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I visited a Walmart 'store of the future' and got huge Target vibes