Coming this February Wal-Mart is losing its hyphen. Seems
like a minor change to many, Wal-Mart to Walmart but this is a nod to a much
bigger shift that is currently going on at the world’s largest retailer. This
move is to better Walmart’s online identity and to help shoppers better find
Walmart.com. Yes, it’s another not so subtle acknowledgement that a big portion
of retail is shifting online and that Walmart is shifting its strategy to
address the ever increasing threat posed by Amazon. Walmart has been pouring resources
into the fight by buying up trendy online retailers and aggressively recruiting
sellers to compete with Amazon’s own hoard of marketplace sellers much to the
benefit of sellers it’s always good to have options! So how is this war playing
out this holiday season? Well it’s not quite what you would expect, sure Black
Friday and Cyber Monday meant deals galore but after the deal hunters have made
their early purchases it’s all about convenience. How are Walmart and Amazon
catering to these last- minute shoppers? Getting them their orders as quickly
as possible. While Amazon is well known for its fast shipping, Walmart is able
to offer in store pick up a significant advantage with its massive physical
footprint. The concept is simple, why lose money on battling it out on price
when you can simply offer service that is worth that additional premium? Sad to
say for the shopping procrastinators, there are few last minute deals to be had
from Walmart or Amazon but at least those items will be there on time.