Daily Times

NEW YORK: Walmart opened a 12,000-square-foot culinary and innovation center at its headquarters in June as a place where the nation’s largest food retailer can work with major suppliers to come up with new food ideas, and develop ideas on its own to bolster its store-brand selection.

The center has 10 test kitchens including a studio-style chef’s kitchen and replicas of the bakery and deli kitchens found in most of its stores. It has stoves, ovens and microwaves so the staff can cook the same ways customers do at home. There’s also a sensory lab where Walmart can collect feedback from customers and employees, who answer questions about the texture, saltiness or sweetness of a food or beverage. The facility follows a similar lab at the company’s Sam’s Club headquarters, which opened a few years ago.

Walmart derives 56 percent of its total sales from food and other grocery items. The company also accounts for about 25 percent of the overall US grocery business. Since customers might shop for food several times a week, it’s critical to get food items right to build loyalty.