P&G and Walmart Tweak Food Truck Strategy to Reach Urbanites

Test programs in Chicago and New York are bringing popular items directly to customers with foodtruck-style mobile stores.

June 12, 2012

NEW YORK - Procter and Gamble and Walmart.com launched a joint, month-long campaign earlier this month featuring pop-up stores in Chicago and food truck-style mobile stores in Manhattan, AdAge reports.

The joint effort is an attempt to reach city dwellers, especially important for the companies as Amazon.com grows its market share in urban areas, where accessibility can be problematic for consumers.

The initiative will bring "large consumables," including giant bags of Iams dog food, large jugs of Tide detergent and oversized boxes of Pampers directly to consumers, with a strategy that is deploying mobile, social and real-time commerce.

The "@PGMobile" trucks are stationed throughout New York in densely populated areas, including Union Square and the Fashion District. But rather than tweeting their locations to targeted consumers, consumers are tweeting requests for the trucks to come to their apartment or office.

AdAge said New Yorkers should not get used to curbside service for grooming supplies, but that this is a limited-time promotion to raise awareness for Walmart.com??s delivery service.

"We look forward to seeing results of this initiative in Chicago and New York," said Chad Brizendine, brand manager, Walmart Grooming and Walmart.com. "While I can't elaborate on our plans going forward, we know reaching the urban consumer is a big opportunity for us and we are committed to finding the right to better serve this consumer."

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement