July 13, 2022
Walmart is expanding virtual try-on services with a planned acquisition of Memomi, an augmented reality (AR) optical tech company and current Walmart partner offering a virtual try-on experience for eyewear, Sarah Perez reports in TechCrunch+.
Deal terms were not disclosed, but Memomi has enabled digital measurements for all Walmart and Sam’s Club customers since 2019, the retailer said, according to Perez.
This partnership had spanned more than 2,800 Walmart Vision Centers and 550 Sam’s Clubs. The technology also powers the optical e-commerce experience on SamsClub.com.
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Walmart described the deal as the “next step” in offering personalized and affordable access to optical care online, which suggests with the acquisition the company aims to further take on competitors like 1-800 Contacts as well as online brands like Warby Parker, Perez writes.
“By bringing its technology partner in-house, it also can work more closely with the team on future development and integrations, even if those remain limited to online optical,” she points out.
