Walmart’s bid for TikTok reveals retailer’s big digital ambition

Walmart Inc.’s jump into the bidding for TikTok jolted investors and technology experts alike. What comes next could be even more disruptive.

At first glance, a brick-and-mortar giant whose core shoppers grew up with rotary phones and three television channels isn’t the likeliest candidate to own an internet app that’s wildly popular with Generation Z. But a closer look at the retailer’s digital ambitions shows the move is part of a broader long-term play to bring more shoppers, advertisers and vendors into the fold as the lines between content and commerce continue to blur.

If successful, Walmart’s bid alongside partner Microsoft Corp. could also enhance its soon-to-launch delivery subscription service, making it a more credible threat to rival Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime offering. TikTok could even become a platform to sell Walmart’s products, catapulting the 58-year-old Arkansas retailer into the emerging realm of “social commerce” against Facebook and its Instagram platform.