Walmart is spending $1.4 billion（約2200億円） to acquire Vibe.co, a French ad-tech firm, to build its advertising business and compete directly with Amazon's dominant position in retail advertising.

What happened

Walmart announced it will pay $1.4 billion（約2200億円） to buy Vibe.co, a company that enables advertising through internet-connected televisions and streaming services. This is Walmart's largest acquisition in two years and builds on its 2024 purchase of connected-TV maker Vizio, both designed to strengthen its Walmart Connect advertising business.

Why it matters

Walmart's ad business generated $6.4 billion（約1兆円） in revenue—about a tenth of Amazon's advertising revenue—but it is highly profitable compared to the thin margins in retail sales. As Amazon surpassed Walmart in total revenue and became the No. 1 company in the Fortune 500, Walmart is strategically betting on advertising and other non-retail businesses as faster-growing and more profitable growth engines. Vibe.co specifically targets small and medium-size advertisers, a market segment that lacks access to large ad-buying agencies.

What to watch

CEO John Furner signaled his commitment to this direction by promoting the U.S. e-commerce chief to lead the $500-billion U.S. division and hiring a veteran from Instacart and Amazon as chief growth officer for tech-heavy businesses including advertising. Walmart also moved its stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq in 2025, marking a shift toward being perceived as a tech-focused company.