Walmart reported a 37% increase in ecommerce sales in Q2, the same as in Q1 and supported by strong growth in grocery, as its massive digital investments and focus continue to pay off in its locked battle with Amazon. The company is projecting full-year ecommerce growth of 35%, leveraging its huge store base for fulfillment.
As was expected since ecommerce losses are mounting, Walmart is looking to shed one or more of the several digitally native vertically integrated brands it picked up on a shopping spree that began after the game-changing Jet.com acquisition in 2016, with ModCloth being first up on the block.
Target is expanding its free curbside pickup program, Drive Up, ahead of the busy back-to-school season, making it available at 1,550 stores and adding coverage in the Northeast, the company reported in a blog post. Several markets are being added in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, with expansion in others.
Moving above and beyond the game-changing Whole Foods acquisition from 2017, Amazon is considering creation of a new hybrid grocery chain that would combine aspects of a pickup and delivery operation with a smaller retail space for shopping fresh items, according to a report in the New York Times.
Ever since Amazon introduced Prime in 2005, the company has left everyone else chasing after them, and younger shoppers look for that type of experience everywhere. To succeed, retailers must meet customer demand for an enhanced delivery experience, including whenever possible fast and free shipping and unlimited returns.
Prime Day saw 175 million items purchased by Prime members over the two days, according to Amazon, eclipsing its 2018 Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales combined, while analysts pegged total GMV at $6 billion to $6.2 billion. See what other interesting statistics we found to paint a picture of the concocted “Christmas in July.”
Prime Day, running for 48 hours on July 15-16, is expected to generate $5.8 billion in global sales, with an estimated 250 retailers drafting in its wake as more of them realize the huge potential. Also, Prime membership has grown to 105 million in the U.S., and electronics, home goods and apparel are the hot categories.
The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), whose members include Walmart, Target, The Home Depot and Best Buy, wrote a 10-page letter to the Federal Trade Commission dated June 30 urging the FTC to look into competitive conduct by big tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Facebook.
Walmart announced plans to invest $1.2 billion into its China business to beat out competition. The company plans to invest the money into distribution centers over the next 20 years with a focus on grocery delivery.
It was the power of paying attention that led Andy Dunn, senior vice president of digital consumer brand for Walmart, to launch online men’s apparel brand Bonobos and ultimately change the way he looked at retail.