You know what I love about retail? When a company comes along and does something so brilliantly simple that it makes you wonder why everyone else has been doing it wrong for so long. That’s exactly what happened when Walmart decided to flip the script on the Nintendo Switch 2 launch.
While Target and Best Buy were gearing up for the usual circus—midnight lines, stressed-out employees, and the inevitable disappointment of customers who waited hours only to walk away empty-handed—Walmart quietly pulled off what might be the smartest product launch strategy I’ve seen in years.
Here’s what they did: Every single Nintendo Switch 2 console that was pre-ordered got delivered by 9 a.m. local time on launch day. Most arrived by 7 a.m. And here’s the kicker—customers didn’t pay a dime extra for this delivery service. But wait, it gets better. Walmart threw in free Coca-Cola and Pringles with each console delivery. Talk about understanding your audience.
Because, as everyone knows, “Once you pop, you can’t stop.”
This wasn’t just a cute marketing stunt. This was Walmart flexing its operational muscle in a way that should have every other retailer taking notes. David Guggina, Walmart’s EVP and chief e-commerce officer (and former Chief Supply Chain Officer, I might add) made it clear this was about showcasing their omnichannel capabilities and delivery infrastructure. The fastest delivery?
Five minutes. Five. Minutes.
Now, having lived through these product launch war rooms back in my Target days, I can tell you exactly what’s going to happen next. Retailers are creatures of habit—they don’t innovate until they see someone else succeed first. Then they all follow like lemmings. Mark my words: the next major product drop is going to see Target, Best Buy, and everyone else scrambling to replicate this approach.
And why wouldn’t they?
Think about the traditional model for a second. You’re asking customers to stand in line, potentially for hours, to maybe get the product they want. You’re creating operational headaches for your stores. You’re generating disappointed customers who couldn’t get what they came for. You’re dealing with crowd control issues. It’s a mess waiting to happen.
Walmart’s approach eliminates all of that. They know exactly who wants what because of pre-orders. They deliver directly to customers’ doors with bonus snacks that perfectly complement the gaming experience (for which Walmart’s vendors will pay glady). No lines, no disappointment, no operational nightmares for store teams.
Contrast personal Pringles with this uninspiring display at my local Target store, and you get the punchline to the joke. One looks like Walmart circa 2025, and the other? Well, it looks like Walmart, too. Only way back in 1995.
But here’s what really impresses me about this strategy—it’s not just about the immediate win. This is about customer acquisition and brand partnerships rolled into one brilliant execution. Guggina noted that many of these gamers were new Walmart customers who hadn’t spent much time on their app or website before. By delivering an exceptional experience right out of the gate, they’re converting these customers into long-term shoppers.
The brand partnership angle is equally smart. Coca-Cola and Pringles didn’t just get their products in front of a highly engaged customer segment—they got associated with a moment of pure joy and surprise. That’s the kind of positive brand association money can’t usually buy. It is also one-to-one versus old school one-to-many, like in the poorly executed picture above.
What’s even more impressive is who’s speaking for Walmart in all of this. It’s not the merchandising team or the marketing department—it’s David Guggina from e-commerce and supply chain. That tells you everything you need to know about how seriously Walmart takes the operational excellence required to pull this off.
The question now is whether competitors can replicate this. Target and Best Buy have strong supply chain operations, but do they have the same last-mile delivery capabilities that Walmart has built? Can they coordinate the kind of flawless execution that gets products to customers’ doors in some cases within minutes of the official launch time?
Time will tell.
However, the most exciting part of all this great merchandising is that extends far beyond mere video games — fashion drops, limited-edition sneakers, exclusive product launches across any category could benefit from this approach. Instead of creating artificial scarcity and frustration, retailers could create genuine delight and satisfaction and know the demand better going into launch.
Walmart has proven that the era of camping out for product launches is over. They’ve shown that superior logistics and customer-first thinking can create a better experience for everyone involved—customers, brands, and retailers alike.
The retail industry just got served. The only question left is how quickly everyone else will catch up—and whether they can match the operational sophistication required to make it work at scale.
Walmart didn’t just deliver Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. They delivered a blueprint for the future of product launches.
About the Author
Chris WaltonChris Walton is the Co-CEO of Omni Talk and the former Vice President of Target’s Store of the Future project. He is recognized as one of the top retail experts globally, with deep insights into innovation, digital transformation, and modern commerce strategies.
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.