Walmart is aiming to accelerate growth in China by partnering with Alibaba.
Through the partnership, Walmart will bring Alipay, Alibaba’s payment technology, to 25 stores in the metropolis of Shenzhen. These locations will receive scanners that can read barcodes on smartphones and accept Alipay Wallet.
A Walmart representative reported that the retailer will expand Alipay Wallet to more than 400 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across China, according to CNET.
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Although Walmart reported in its Q4 2014 earnings call that comparable store sales in China decreased by 2.3%, the retailer still has an aggressive expansion strategy in place. Walmart intends to open another 115 locations across China by the end of 2017.
Implementing Alipay Wallet in China-based locations could potentially help Walmart boost its shopper base and overall sales across the country. Currently, Alipay has 300 million registered users.
In a printed statement, Walmart spokesperson Marilee McInnis told Fortune: “Alipay will help us serve our customers better by allowing mobile payment in seconds.”
