When it comes to revenue, Walmart is the largest company with a net value of $485 billion as per the Fortune Global 500 List. However, in order to remain at the top, it has to work out new and innovative ways to secure its position. So, the task is a huge one especially with so many stores across the globe that have to be managed.
Of late, Amazon is making inroads into the space of physical retailers and is venturing out into the brick-and-mortar space. With the introduction of Amazon Go, this has, however, caused an uproar in the retail market and other e-commerce giants are not taking this too well.
Walmart’s role in e-commerce
Walmart extends e-commerce solutions for quite some time now. However, recently their stocks fell despite their biggest earnings. So, now it is working out ways to reach out to its target audience virtually in an effective manner.
Is Walmart in a better position than Amazon?
Walmart undoubtedly has an edge over Amazon because of its vast network of stores that are physically located. In this regard, even if Amazon is trying to venture out into physically located stores, Walmart is already there!
As such Walmart in order to take on the virtual giant is planning to pool-in the benefits of both virtual business and in-store services together. This it believes will allow clients to access their products and services at their convenience.
What is the “endless aisle system” presented by Walmart?
By implementing this system, Walmart plans to offer to its customers anything the consumer wishes to buy under the sun.
How does it work?
Every store has a physical aisle. Walmart has placed a kiosk at the end of such an aisle, wherein the customers will be able to access Walmart’s online products and services. After having checked out the physical store, if a customer does not find his stuff at the physical store, he can walk up to the aisle and look for the product online and place the order.
Once the order is placed, he can arrange to collect it from the store, or if he wishes he can make an arrangement wherein it can reach his doorstep.
This also means that at no point in time, any customer will have to return from Walmart empty-handed or his trip to the store, or the endless aisle kiosk will not be futile.
Amazon Prime versus Walmart Prime
Fast Facts about Amazon Prime and Walmart Prime – Owing to Amazon’s Prime membership service, a customer is required to pay $99 for the whole year and with this, he will be allowed to access a wide array of services like Amazon Video, Amazon Music, and also instant delivery with better options in this regard.
Most notably, Amazon Air plans to deliver goods at clients’ doorsteps with the help of drones that ensures that the delivery time is less than 30 minutes or so. This benefit will be availed by all Amazon subscribers and will not have to shell out anything extra.
Walmart, on the other hand, has launched its product ShippingPass Service to take on Amazon Prime. This service is offered for $49 for shipping requirements. However, this model did not take-off pretty well and led to the subscribers being refunded their money.
Aside from the above, Walmart has offered its customers a host of facilities like offering discounts on a whole range of products provided they collect the stuff from the stores.
Walmart has adopted the so-called “Omnichannel marketing strategy” and has been offering discounts and incentives galore to the consumers. Unlike earlier times, when Walmart had viewed online marketing and in-store product promotion as two different avenues of growth, it has come to realize that both “complement” each other and can take brand Walmart ahead by working in tandem.
