Walmart has agreed to enter into a partnership with a Singapore-based carpet cleaning and maintenance company to deliver the vacuum cleaner to customers in India, India and Indonesia, a company executive said Thursday.
The partnership, announced by the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, is expected to start in mid-2016, and will be conducted in the countries where Walmart has its largest stores, such as India, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
Walmart will sell the vacuum cleaners directly to customers, according to the executive.
The company has said it expects the partnership to create 500 jobs in each of the three countries.
“The vacuum cleaner will be a world leader in its field,” said Mr. N.N. Ravi, Walmart’s chief executive, in a statement.
“The combination of these two products is truly an industry-leading solution to a common problem.”
Walmart’s partnership with C&D is one of the first major deals for the company to emerge from the Asian retailing sector, and marks a significant shift in strategy for the retail giant.
Walmart previously has focused its attention on providing low-cost home and garden cleaning services to low-income consumers in developing countries.