Initially, Walmart was reeling by growing competition from Amazon and other e-commerce retailers. Through savvy e-commerce acquisitions, a rethink of its entire operations, and investments in technology, it’s now ready meeting Amazon head on. Our news today looks at Walmart’s strategies to compete with Amazon.
The latest Walmart customer strategy is Mobile Express Returns. Using a mobile app, consumers can get a refund, exchange or return previously purchased items in-store in as little as 35 seconds. Talk about removing a customer pain point?
The acquisition of Jet.com instantly let Walmart compete with Amazon in the e-commerce business. Orders from other Walmart-owned etailers such as Bonobos and ModCloth are easy on one online platform.
Walmart grocery orders can now be placed online and picked up at more than 1,000 of Walmart’s 4,699 US stores. A planned Jet.com online shopping service called Uniquely J is aimed at delivering the products millennials want to buy from organic foods to daily household essentials and merchandise.
Same-day delivery service? Walmart has that covered too with the acquisition of Parcel, a New York-based same-day delivery startup.
Amazon’s voice ordering service hasn’t scared Walmart either. It recently announced an online shopping partnership with Google Home.
Clearly, part of the Walmart-Amazon Store Wars are going to happen inside the home now and in the future.
Read more about Amazon’s latest retail strategies here: “Store Wars: Amazon dominates e-commerce but now they’re the target for all competitors.”
More valuable news insight follows…
Walmart launches Mobile Express Returns to refund or exchange online items in physical stores
As Walmart continues to build out its e-commerce business to rival Amazon’s, its latest development will build on some of the retail giant’s most established operations: Walmart is launching a new in-store returns service called Mobile Express Returns. People who purchase items online and then need to return them can do so by logging them on the Walmart app, generating a QR code for the transaction, and then walking into a physical Walmart store to return or exchange the items quickly. Via techcrunch.com
Is Walmart the Only Company That Can Take on Amazon?
We looked back at just some of Walmart’s recent tech innovations: Forget ripping open boxes, Walmart will deliver groceries direct to your fridge. Walmart partnered with smart home accessories maker August Home so customers can watch the delivery from their smartphone. Jet.com starts selling clothes from other Walmart owned businesses including ModCloth and Bonobos. Via thestreet.com
Walmart seeks boost with grocery order pickup at stores
Walmart, one of the largest food retailers in the United States, sees grocery pickup as a way to marry its e-commerce business with its gigantic network of stores — a goal that has eluded many other retailers. The company began offering the service two years ago, and it is now available in about 1,000 of Walmart’s 4,699 stores across the country. Via sfgate.com
Walmart’s Jet.com Has Developed a Grocery Service Just for Millennials
Walmart thinks it knows the secret to getting inside the elusive Millennial wallet, and is using its Jet.com property as a testing ground for a new online delivery service specifically catered towards the young demographic. J, set to launch in the next two months, is a new private label brand under Jet.com that promises to deliver on things that Millennials supposedly care about, including daily essentials and organic items with high-quality ingredients. The site’s offerings will reportedly cross “dozens” of different product categories, and will eventually arrive on Walmart.com in their second year. Via psfk.com
Walmart Buys Brooklyn Same-Day Delivery Startup Parcel
Parcel will deliver fresh and frozen groceries from Walmart and its company, Jet.com, as well as general merchandise. Walmart purchased online retailer Jet for more than $3 billion last year. Since buying Jet. com, the retail giant has developed more targeted online shopping services such as “Uniquely J,” which aims at everyday goods for “metro millennials.” Walmart’s focus on fast, local delivery shows how priorities have shifted for major retailers as they travel to shoppers’ homes, rather than the other way around. Via newyork.cbslocal.com
Wal-Mart strikes back at Amazon voice-commerce push with Google partnership
According to the latest data from Accenture, 89% of shoppers in 2017 are familiar with Alexa, while 77% are familiar with Google Home. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of shoppers are using or would like to use Alexa, while 68% responded in kind about Google Home. Experts argue that it’s still early days for voice commerce, so even if there has been buzz around Alexa and the Echo products, there is room for others. Via finance.yahoo.com
LET’S CONNECT