Walmart Canada says its Kamloops store on Hillside Drive is one of a handful across the country that will experience a “significant transformation” as it invests nearly $1 billion this fiscal year to modernize its Canadian footprint.

The spending will include more than $300 million for store remodels and renovations at 55 stores across Canada being upgraded and modernized, with 20 undergoing extensive refurbishments.

It says some stores will be altered to include larger produce areas with an expanded assortment of products, more space for employees to prepare customer orders and clearer aisle markers.

Money is also being set aside for what the retail giant says is its “store of the future” at Square One Mall in Mississauga, Ont., where it says people will find electronics typically stored in product cases set up in open displays allowing for more interaction.

Walmart Canada also says people will be able to see real-time product availability, scan a QR code to place orders, and experience “immediate” on-site delivery at what it said will be its future flagship location in Southern Ontario.

The store will be rounded out with a health hub that will see the pharmacy, vision centre, and medical clinic brought into one area, with Walmart Canada calling it a prototype for “omnichannel retail innovation.”

“Walmart Canada has an ambition to be the most trusted retailer for Canadians,” Gonzalo Gebara, Walmart Canada’s President and CEO said in a statement. “This is what we’ve worked towards for the last 30 years and it’s why we continue to invest, including nearly $1 billion this year, to build an even more efficient, consistent and reliable omnichannel experience for Canadians.”

“We’re excited to welcome our customers into our modernized stores and for them to experience the future of Walmart Canada, no matter how they choose to shop with us.”

The company says the changes are part of a five-year transformation that it announced in July 2020 to overhaul store infrastructure and the customer experience with $3.5 billion in improvements.

– With files from The Canadian Press