Wal-Mart Stores Inc said it will allow shoppers to trade in used videogames for anything from groceries to gadgets across its 3,100 stores from March 26.

The trade-in service will accept games for popular consoles like the Sony PlayStation3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, and customers can in return buy anything at Walmart and Sam's Club, both in stores and online, Wal-Mart said.

"Gaming continues to be an important business for us and we're actively taking aim at the US$2bil (RM6.53bil) pre-owned videogame opportunity," Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer for Walmart US, said in a statement.

The traded-in games will be refurbished and made available to buyers later this year.

Retailers such as Best Buy Co, Target Corp and GameStop Corp also offer trade-in programmes for used videogames. — Reuters