No, Walmart Does Not Sell Amazon Fire Sticks in 2022
If you‘re looking to buy an Amazon Fire TV streaming device like the popular Fire Stick, you won‘t find it on the shelves at your local Walmart or on Walmart.com in 2022. Let‘s discuss why Walmart stopped selling Fire Sticks, alternatives you can buy at Walmart, and the story behind their failed Vudu streaming service.
The Rise of Fire Stick and Streaming Media Players
First, a quick background on Amazon Fire Stick and how streaming devices have taken over the home entertainment market:
The Amazon Fire TV Stick launched in 2014 as an easy way to stream Netflix, Prime Video, and other apps from your TV.
With a compact HDMI stick design and affordable $39 price point, Fire Stick quickly became one of the most popular streaming devices.
Top features include access to Alexa voice assistant, ability to stream 4K Ultra HD, and support for thousands of apps and channels.
In just a few years, Fire Stick has grown to capture over 30% market share of streaming devices, according to Parks Associates research.
Take a look at this chart showing the rapid growth of Fire TV streaming media players since launching in 2014:
As this data indicates, Fire Sticks fulfilled the growing consumer demand for convenient streaming devices as cord-cutting accelerated. Their sales soared past competitors like Roku and Apple TV.
But despite Fire Stick‘s huge popularity among consumers, you won‘t actually find them for purchase at the nation‘s largest retailer.
Why Walmart Stopped Selling Fire Sticks
In 2017, Walmart made the strategic decision to stop carrying the Fire TV Stick and other Fire streaming devices both on store shelves and their website.
Walmart likely had a few motivations for pulling Amazon‘s popular streamers:
- Increasing ecommerce competition – As the lines blur between online and brick-and-mortar retail, Amazon emerges as one of Walmart‘s biggest competitors in the fight to dominate ecommerce.
According to eMarketer, Amazon is expected to capture 47% of U.S. ecommerce in 2022 compared to just 6.6% for Walmart. Walmart understandably doesn‘t want to actively promote sales of Amazon hardware.
Developing a streaming competitor – Around the time Fire Sticks were pulled from Walmart, there were reports that Walmart was considering launching its own video streaming service and devices to compete with Amazon Prime Video. Offering Fire TV products would have directly conflicted with this goal.
Reducing promotion of Amazon products overall – In addition to Fire Sticks, Walmart also removed Amazon Kindle e-readers from store shelves in 2017 as they aimed to reduce visibility for many Amazon-branded devices within their stores.
So in an era of increasing competition between two retail giants, Walmart decided it didn‘t make sense to continue offering popular hardware like Fire Sticks that drive more sales and brand awareness for Amazon.
Alternatives to Fire Stick at Walmart
Now let‘s examine what media streamers and smart TV options you can find at Walmart as alternatives to the Fire Stick:
| Device | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Roku | $29-$99 | Broad app support, intuitive interface, robust streaming platform |
| Apple TV | $94-$169 | Seamless integration with other Apple devices, access to iOS apps and games, AirPlay support |
| Chromecast | $30-$64 | Casting functionality from mobile apps, Google Assistant integration, affordable prices |
Walmart also offers numerous smart TVs from brands like Vizio, Samsung, LG and others that come with built-in Roku, WebOS, or Android TV software. This eliminates the need for an external streaming device entirely.
It‘s worth comparing specs between these alternatives:
| Device | Resolution | HDR | Remote | Voice Assistant | 4K Model Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Stick 4K | 2160p (4K) | HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision | Included | Amazon Alexa | $39 |
| Roku Streaming Stick+ | 2160p (4K) | HDR10 | Included | Roku Voice | $49 |
| Chromecast with Google TV | 2160p (4K) | HDR, Dolby Vision | Included | Google Assistant | $49 |
| Apple TV 4K | 2160p (4K) | HDR10, Dolby Vision | Included | Siri | $179 |
As you can see, Walmart offers a solid variety of 4K streaming devices at prices competitive with Amazon‘s lineup. The platforms vary, so go with Roku if you want the most apps and channels or Apple TV for tight iOS integration.
We‘ll now switch gears to the story behind Walmart‘s failed Vudu streaming venture.
The Rise and Fall of Walmart‘s Vudu Streaming Service
Back in 2010, Walmart acquired a fledgling company called Vudu, which offered customers full-HD streaming movie rentals over the internet.
This allowed Walmart to:
- Gain a footprint in the growing digital/streaming video landscape beyond physical DVD sales.
- Develop technology for delivering media over the internet.
- Potentially compete directly with streaming apps from Apple and Amazon.
However, over the next decade it became clear that Vudu struggled to gain traction in an increasingly saturated streaming market dominated by powerhouses like Netflix and Hulu.
In 2019, Vudu shifted strategies to create original content with both free, ad-supported and paid subscription tiers planned. But soon after Walmart decided to cut their losses.
In April 2020, Walmart announced the sale of Vudu to Fandango, a movie ticketing service owned by NBCUniversal.
Clearly, Walmart realized that branching into streaming video had proven far more difficult than expected, with juggernauts like Netflix and Disney+ controlling the space in the late 2010s.
Why Walmart Scaled Back Its Streaming Ambitions
Based on their handling of Vudu and Amazon Fire Sticks, we can glean some insight into Walmart‘s strategic analysis:
The streaming video space had become overcrowded, with new major players continuing to emerge like Disney, Apple, Paramount, and more on the horizon. Breaking in proved extremely challenging.
Walmart‘s core expertise was in retail and logistics. Venturing into creating original entertainment content took them too far outside their domain.
Resources were likely better spent improving online order fulfillment, expanding grocery pickup, and integrating digital with physical stores – areas where Walmart could better leverage existing strengths against Amazon.
By selling Vudu and limiting promotion of Fire Sticks, Walmart could reduce investment in non-core businesses and shift focus to competing in retail and ecommerce rather than digital media.
In essence, Walmart determined that tangling with the "FAANG" companies in streaming was an uphill battle they were unlikely to win. The smarter move was playing to their strengths in retail infrastructure and supply chains.
Conclusion
While Fire Sticks continue to dominate streaming device sales year after year, Walmart made the strategic decision back in 2017 to no longer carry Amazon‘s popular media players in their stores or online marketplace.
The rise of ecommerce competition from Amazon likely made Walmart hesitant to actively promote Amazon hardware like Fire TV. And unsuccessful forays into streaming video with Vudu signaled that Walmart was better off focusing investment on core retail capabilities.
But for shoppers who still want a Fire Stick-alternative that doesn‘t feed the Amazon ecosystem, Walmart offers plenty of options like Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV that provide robust media streaming functionality.
The next time you‘re looking to outfit your home entertainment setup with the latest media streamers or smart TVs, hopefully this breakdown gives you better insight into Walmart‘s assortment beyond Fire Sticks. Let me know if you have any other questions!
