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Tag: Walmart

  • Walmart unboxes America’s best toy shop

    Walmart unboxes America’s best toy shop

    When it comes to toys, Walmart is not playing around. Walmart has unboxed its plans for America’s Best Toy Shop: its destination for kids’ favorite products – toys! – in its stores and on Walmart.com. Walmart’s toy aisles are set to offer the best toys at the best prices along with more fun for everyone than ever before. Starting Thursday, America’s Best Toy Shop kicks off with:

    – Expanded aisles and the best selection of toys, with thousands of new and exclusive items from top brands, creating Walmart’s broadest assortment of toys ever.
    – The best experience for parents and kids to test, play and shop for toys – through in-store events and demos, and a new specialty toy experience online featuring exclusive content from toy influencers for the first time.
    – The season’s 40 top rated toys from the real toy authorities – kids – to make it easy for parents to know what toys are on trend and tops for kids.
    – Layaway…it’s back August 31.

    “Walmart has always been a destination for toys. Parents shop us for our wide selection of top brands and because we bring fun to stores in ways that only Walmart can,” said Anne Marie Kehoe, Vice President of toys, Walmart U.S. “But today, we are making even bigger investments in the category to ensure we have the widest selection of toys at the best prices and an unmatched in-store and online experience to show customers the best place to shop for toys is Walmart.

    BESTEST Assortment of Toys Ever

    To ensure Walmart has all of the toys kids want, the retailer has expanded America’s Best Toy Shop aisles in select stores across the country. This expanded assortment includes 30 percent new toys in stores and 40 percent more toys online.

    Walmart searched high and low for the biggest trends and the right toys to expand its assortment. New toy brands now available at Walmart include Pomsies, Fancy Nancy, Boxy Girls, Grumblies and Hairdorables. This year, the retailer has added hundreds of new exclusive toys in stores and online. Just one of the hundreds of new exclusives includes Ryan’s World, a line of 11 toys from first-grade internet toy sensation Ryan of Ryan ToysReview, available exclusively at Walmart until Sept. 30. The excitement continues on Walmart.com with new online-only exclusives such as the DC Comics 6-Volt Justice League Batmobile and KidKraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen with 30 Piece Play Food.

    Bringing the WHHHHOOOAAA to Stores and Online

    America’s Best Toy Shop is putting the fun in toys, the Walmart way. Walmart will host more than 2,000 toy play dates over the next two months at Supercenters across the country so that kids can play with top toys as they start to build their holiday wish lists. Here’s a look at the fun happening in America’s Best Toy Shop now through November 1:

    – America’s Best Toy Shop will host its first National Play Day on September 8 in more than 1,500 stores. Kids will leave seriousness and responsibility at the door and enjoy the opportunity to play with top toys, pose for pictures and take home toy booklets and other giveaways.
    – In-store toy demos, including events highlighting toys from Ryan’s World, Barbie and Transformers will take place from August 30 to November 1.
    – Toy roadshows for Nerf and Hot Wheels, will give kids the chance to play with the newest toys from these two classic brands with interactive activities at Supercenters from August 31 to November 1.

    Walmart.com will also open America’s Best Toy Shop online as a specialty shopping destination for customers to discover the perfect toy. As a part of the experience, this year, for the first time ever, customers can hear directly from 25 toy influencers including Clara Lukasiak, Gavin Raygoza, Kenzie Mitchell, and Gabe & Garrett, who will develop exclusive toy content throughout the year, giving customers the scoop on all things toys with advice, reviews and recommendations. The online shop will also include curated toy collections to help customers find inspiration and shop for toys with ease, whether that be by trending item, age, character or brand, among other ways to shop.

    “This year is all about an unmatched experience on Walmart.com,” said Chris Sponiar, General Manager, Toys and Seasonal, Walmart eCommerce U.S. “Whether customers know exactly what they’re looking for or if they want to browse our digital shelves, we are the destination for parents to discover that perfect toy for their child. And, we make it easy. With options like free, two-day shipping or Pickup Today on millions of items, customers can get their toys however they like, either straight to their door or at a Walmart store.”

    Hear ye, Hear ye: The Kids Have Spoken!

    America’s Best Toy Shop launches with a little help from the real toy authorities – kids! Walmart engaged hundreds of youngsters to test and play with dozens of toys. Their favorites resulted in Walmart’s Top Rated by Kids list. Up from 25 toys in previous years, this list of 40 toys will help guide parents on the “it” toys kids are wishing for. Straight from kids themselves, here is a look at the top 40:

    – Power Brands: These brands have been household names for generations and continue to be popular with kids today. Whether it’s a twist on a classic, or a fresh new way to play with beloved icons, these toys are tops with kids:
    – Barbie Dreamhouse
    – Fisher-Price Little People Take Turns Skyway
    – Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage (Walmart exclusive)
    – LEGO Creator Pirate Roller Coaster
    – Nerf Laser Ops 2 Pack
    – Playmobil Hidden Temple with T-Rex
    – Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper (Walmart exclusive)
    – Razor Ultra Spark Scooter
    – Sing & Spin Scooter Minnie

    – Entertainment Properties: Toys that enable kids to play with their favorite characters from movies and television are all the rage. Here are the characters – in toy form – that kids will be buddying-up with off-screen:
    – Disney Princess Rapunzel Tower Vanity (Walmart exclusive)
    – Harry Potter Wizard Training Wands
    – Imaginext Jurassic World Jurassic Rex
    – Incredibles 2 Jack Jack Doll
    – Paw Patrol Fire Truck Ride-On (Walmart exclusive)
    – Paw Patrol Fire Truck
    – Peppa Pig Fun Fair Playset (Walmart exclusive)
    – PJ Masks Romeo’s Lab Playset

    – Collectibles: Few things can replace the sheer joy of discovering a surprise toy inside a mystery box. Kids may not know what they’re going to find, but that’s the delight! And, be sure they’ll want to collect them all:
    – New product from Hatchimal, hatching Oct. 5
    – Little Live Pets Wrapples
    – LOL Surprise House
    – Lost Kitties
    – Moj Moj Claw Machine
    – Fingerlings Hugs
    – Num Nom Silly Shakers Maker
    – PikMi Pops Super Flip
    – Ryans World Giant Mystery Egg
    – Treasure X Single Pack

    – Innovative Items: The future is here! As kids embark on new adventures, these innovative toys offer uncharted areas of play:
    – Air Hogs Supernova
    – All Star Hover Board (Walmart exclusive)
    – Fisher Price Laugh & Learn 3-in-1 Smart Car
    – Kumi Kreator
    – Little Live Pets Rollie My Kissing Puppy
    – Polaris 1.5 RC (Walmart exclusive)
    – Really Rad Robots Mi-Bro
    – Rideamals Scout Interactive Pony (Walmart exclusive)
    – STEM Jr. Wonder Lab
    – Terra Sect RC
    – Trail Buster RC (Walmart exclusive)
    – VTech Explore & Write Activity Desk (Walmart exclusive)
    – Zoom Tubes Car Trax

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  • Black Diamond Sends Walmart Cease And Desist Letter

    Black Diamond Sends Walmart Cease And Desist Letter

    Walmart is learning a tough lesson in the challenges of expanding its business into a premium category after a dispute with upmarket outdoor-wear brand Black Diamond.

    The dispute is rooted in the US retail giant’s acquisition of outdoor gear retailer Moosejaw for $51 million. Walmart thought the acquisition would help it reach a new customer demographic it does not traditionally engage with, while Moosejaw saw the investment as an opportunity to scale its business up from its 10 physical stores and single online platform.

    Black Diamond, which makes premium-quality outdoor wear, had sold its products through Moosejaw’s stores and online prior to the company’s sale. But Black Diamond was incensed this week to find its products being promoted on a new subsite of Walmart’s online shop, Premium Outdoor Store curated by Moosejaw. It sent Walmart a letter demanding it cease and desist promoting its products on any Walmart-branded site, the clear inference being an association with Walmart undermined the Black Diamond’s premium status.

    The legal letter demanded Walmart stop using its name and trademarks “in a manner likely to confuse consumers into believing that Walmart is an authorised dealer of Black Diamond or that the new outdoor Walmart.com site is otherwise associated with or sponsored by Black Diamond”.

    The company accused Walmart of “infringing use of several hundred copyrighted photographs, the rights to which belong exclusively to Black Diamond”.

    “We did not see or approve the statement which Walmart released Monday and have never sold to Walmart,” Black Diamond president John Walbrecht said in a statement. “Black Diamond remains committed to our specialty retail partners and we do not plan on deviating from this strategy.”

    A Walmart spokesperson said it would never activate a brand [online] without its permission.

    “The decision to be part of this new experience will continue to be up to each brand, and our hope is that brands, and even other retailers, share our commitment to driving a truly inclusive outdoor industry,” the spokesperson said.

    “As we grow the Premium Outdoor Store, we will continue to look for leading brands and retailers that want to reach a new, wider audience.”

    Black Diamond’s products appear to have since disappeared from the Walmart online store.

    Quoting retail industry observers, a close association with Walmart “is a mixed bag for upscale brands because they enjoy loyalty from younger, wealthier shoppers who don’t necessarily look favourably on an association with Walmart’s corporate reputation, and might expect prices to come down”.

    Black Diamond says its action against Walmart is driven by a commitment to specialty retailers which stock its products.

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  • Don Quijote hopes for Seiyu plot

    Don Quijote hopes for Seiyu plot

    Japanese discount retailer Don Quijote says it wants to buy Walmart’s Seiyu department store business in Japan.

    But Walmart still claims it is not for sale.

    Despite widely published reports, that Walmart was approaching potential buyers for the unit, the US company denies it is selling up and moving out of Japan.

    A Walmart spokesperson said that the company is not in talks with prospective buyers and is continuing to develop the business.

    Don Quijote CEO Koji Ohara told a press conference this week that if Seiyu came up for sale “we would be interested and it is attractive”.

    “If you don’t have real estate you can’t do retailing. In addition to its human resources, Seiyu has many locations that you cannot get your hands on,” he said.

    The original Nikkei report said Walmart could fetch 300 – 500 billion yen (US$2.7 – $4.5 billion) for the business if it sold. The move was perceived as a potential outright withdrawal from Japan and a chance for the firm to refocus on higher potential markets in China and India.

    Don Quijote, which has recently expanded into Singapore, last week reported its 29th consecutive year of sales and profit growth. The chain aims to have 500 stores in Japan by 2020, 80 more than it has now. But it is struggling to find locations.

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  • Walmart to open 6 more stores in Uttar Pradesh India soon

    Walmart to open 6 more stores in Uttar Pradesh India soon

    US retail major Walmart will open six more stores in Uttar Pradesh soon, taking the number of such outlets to ten, a top company official said.

    “We have four stores at present – two in Agra, and one each in Meerut and Lucknow,” Krish Iyer, President and CEO of Walmart said.

    According to a PTI report: He was addressing reporters after launching Walmart India’s second B2B Fulfilment Centre here — the first in Uttar Pradesh and the second in the country after Bhiwandi, Mumbai, which was set up last November.

    “Uttar Pradesh is a very important and priority growth region for us and we are further expanding our business in the state to support kiranas, small farmers and local suppliers to help make them successful,” Iyer said.

    “The next such centre will be set up in Hyderabad,” he said.

    Iyer said that these centres would support ‘kirana shops’ and other small businesses.

    “It aims to contribute to local and state economy by creating thousands of job opportunities at the local level, besides giving a boost to the SME sector and the farmers,” he said.

    “The Fulfilment Centre will cater to the business needs of under-served small businesses such as kiranas (re-sellers), offices and institutions, and hotels, restauants and caterers,” he said.

    Walmart also plans to set up its ‘Best Price’ stores at various locations in Uttar Pradesh, including Kanpur, Moradabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Sharanpur, Lucknow and Ghaziabad.

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  • Walmart to boost digital footprint

    Walmart to boost digital footprint

    Aiming to make shopping faster and easier for millions of customers, cash-and-carry major Walmart on Tuesday announced a five-year strategic partnership with Microsoft.

    Already using Microsoft services for critical applications and workloads, Walmart will now embark on a broad set of Cloud innovation projects that leverage Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data platform solutions for a wide range of external customer-facing services and internal business applications.

    “Walmart’s commitment to technology is centred around creating incredibly convenient ways for customers to shop and empowering associates to do their best work,” Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart, said in a statement.

    “Whether it’s combined with our agile cloud platform or leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to work smarter, we believe Microsoft will be a strong partner in driving our ability to innovate further,” McMillon added.

    Walmart has selected full range of Microsoft Cloud solutions, including Azure and Microsoft 365, for enterprise-wide use to help standardise across the company’s family of brands.

    “The world’s leading companies run on our Cloud, and I’m thrilled to partner with Walmart to accelerate their digital transformation with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft.

    Under the partnership, Walmart and Microsoft engineers will collaborate on the assessment, development and support phase of moving hundreds of existing applications to Cloud native architectures.

    To grow and enhance the online experience, the company will migrate a significant portion of walmart.com and samsclub.com to Azure, including its Cloud-powered check-out, thus, enabling Walmart to grow and reach more global markets than before.

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  • Walmart looks to exit Japan

    Walmart looks to exit Japan

    U.S. retailer Walmart Inc (WMT.N) has decided to sell Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu and has already approached major retailers and private equity funds.

    If realized, the sale could amount to around 300 billion to 500 billion yen ($2.7 billion to $4.5 billion), the Nikkei said, without citing its sources.

    Walmart said it does not comment on market speculation.

    A sale would be the latest exit by Walmart from a lower-growth market as it looks to shake up its overseas business and invest in places like China and India.

    The world’s biggest retailer said last month it had sold an 80 percent stake in its Brazilian operations to private equity firm Advent International, exiting an underperforming business in its third major international deal since April.

    In addition to competition from online retailers such as Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Japan’s supermarkets are being squeezed by chains such as convenience stores and discount drugstores in a sluggish consumption environment.

    In January Walmart said it was launching an online grocery service with Rakuten Inc (4755.T), in what Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said he hoped may be a precursor to greater global cooperation.

    Walmart has struggled to replicate the success of its low-price model with Seiyu despite the introduction of an “everyday low price” pledge and frequent discounting.

    Japanese supermarkets, with lots of workers preparing fresh food and high levels of customer service, are famous for their low margins and are proving a drag for many retailers.

    Recent industry consolidation saw the creation of FamilyMart Uny Holdings Co Ltd (8028.T) in 2016, a deal that focused on expanding the number of FamilyMart convenience stores. Such stores have increasingly become a priority for retailers as a growth driver.

    Discounter Don Quijote Holdings Co Ltd (7532.T) has taken a 40 percent stake in Uny as it looks for room to expand. Earlier this year Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd (3382.T) announced a tie-up with regional general merchandise store chain Izumi Co Ltd (8273.T).

    Japan’s supermarket industry has proved difficult for foreign retail giants, with exits by Tesco (TSCO.L) in 2011 and Carrefour (CARR.PA) in 2005.

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  • Walmart India gets half of biz via out-of-store sale channels

    Walmart India gets half of biz via out-of-store sale channels

    US retail major Walmart is now getting nearly half of its business through non-store or out-of-store sales channels, which include B2B e-commerce, associates’ driven sales and call centres, a company official has said.

    According to a report: While, the rest half of its business still comes through in-store walk-ins, where its members visit its stores and purchase.

    Besides, Walmart India is also going to open another fulfilment centre soon at Lucknow after opening its first such facility in Mumbai last year.

    “Almost 50 percent of our business comes through in-store walk-ins where our kirana members can discover new products and in-store demos also allow them to experience new food products made by our supplier partners, mostly small and regional,” Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Walmart India said.

    He further said: “We have been helping these kiranas through our B2B Omnichannel efforts and rest of the business comes through ‘out of store’ sales, which include B2B e-commerce, sales associates driven sales (who take the tablets carrying virtual stores to help take orders from our members) and call centres.”

    Walmart had started B2B e-commerce in July 2014 from its Lucknow and Hyderabad ‘Best Price Store’ and was later extended to other stores.

    It was among one of the first companies in India, which had adopted the omni channel retail system by integrating online and offline formats here.

    “This way not only our members are able to focus on running their stores more efficiently and serving their customers better but also get the convenience of placing orders from their stores, easy payment solutions and doorstep delivery, while growing their business,” Kumar further said.

    Walmart, as per its strategy to strengthen presence in the Indian market and also compete head-on with global rival Amazon, had last month announced a mega deal to pick up 77 percent stake in Flipkart.

    Walmart India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart Inc, operates 21 cash and carry stores here under the brand name of ‘Best Price’ in 9 states across the country.

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  • Walmart to try new Sam’s Club concept

    Walmart to try new Sam’s Club concept

    Walmart is to test a new Sam’s Club concept which is less than a quarter the size of the current model.

    Stewart Samuel, program director at IGD Canada, says a typical Sam’s Club outlet in North America is 134,000sqft. But the new store opening in Dallas is just 32,000sqft.

    “This will be a new test format for Sam’s Club which will help it to further innovate and improve the member experience,” says Samuel, who shapes IGD’s research program across North America.

    “Offering a convenient shopping experience will be a key driver underpinning the format’s development. The retailer will focus on delivering a more digital-led experience, including fast membership sign-up, easy returns, checkout using Scan & Go and digital signage.”

    The new Sam’s Club concept will offer a tailored, locally-relevant assortment of between 1000 and 2000 items, including grocery and fresh foods, grab-and-go meals and frequently purchased consumable goods.

    While the test format will be radically different to the core Sam’s Club offer, it could provide Walmart with a new route to future club growth, particularly as e-commerce continues to become a larger part of the club model.

    “This has been a priority focus for the retailer, with its established Club Pickup model augmented by the launch of home delivery via Instacart earlier this year. In January, the retailer announced that it was closing 63 clubs, with around 10 of them earmarked for conversion into e-commerce fulfillment centres,” said Samuel.

    The format could also provide Walmart with new ideas to enhance its hypermarket model.

    “While the retailer has launched several initiatives as part of its ‘Supercenter of the future’ project, these have been within its existing store footprint. Sam’s Club has been an important incubator for new ideas at Walmart over recent years, so success with this new format could lead to a similar test for its core hypermarket format.”

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  • JD and Better Life collaborate to fasten deliveries

    JD and Better Life collaborate to fasten deliveries

    JD has developed a partnership with Chinese retailer Better Life as part of its Retail as a Service strategy.

    The cooperation will further speed up delivery for mainland customers and integrates inventory across the two retailers by using technology to identify the most efficient way to source orders on JD.com, whether from JD’s own warehouses, or from Better Life stores.

    Products sourced from Better Life will be delivered in less than an hour by Dada, China’s leading crowdsourcing delivery company. The efforts follow a cooperation with Walmart that uses a similar strategy of supply chain integration to increase overall efficiency and improve user experience.

    “JD is uniquely able to improve our overall inventory management and reach a wider swath of customers more efficiently,” said Kevin Liu, grocery merchandising director at Better Life. “As the retail landscape is rapidly changing, we see this initiative as a prime example of how offline retailers can not only remain relevant, but actually become even more relevant.”

    Ting Qi, director of user experience at JD FMCG and Foods, said the partnership marks another step forward in the Retail as a Service strategy, which leverages JD’s resources to help traditional companies excel in a changing environment.

    “We are pleased that our customers will be able to get an even better shopping experience through this initiative with Better Life.”

    The benefits for the customer, offline stores and JD through the integration of inventory include increased sales, faster inventory turnover, improved cash flow and even faster delivery.

    JD is also exploring the option of integrating its online membership program with offline partner stores, so that offline stores can enjoy even more benefits from their partnerships with JD.

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  • Walmart India, Flipkart top executives meet CCI

    Walmart India, Flipkart top executives meet CCI

    Top executives of Walmart India and Flipkart on Wednesday met fair trade regulator CCI to explain their activities in the country, days after submitting an application seeking approval for their $16-billion mega merger deal.

    While there was no official word on the meeting, sources said it was a “courtesy call” by the executives of the two companies during which they also apprised the regulatory authority of Walmart’s global sourcing from India, including from the farmers, and its work towards kirana stores and supplier development programmes.

    Those present in the meeting included Walmart India president and CEO Krish Iyer and the company’s senior vice president and chief corporate affairs officer Rajneesh Kumar, besides Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy and its group legal head R Baweja, sources said.

    In their meeting with CCI member Sudhir Mittal, the officials of the two companies briefly explained about their individual businesses, development programmes and other activities.

    The meeting comes days after Walmart approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for approval of its proposed acquisition of a majority stake in e-commerce major Flipkart. In their application filed last week, the two companies have said the acquisition, proposed through Walmart International Holdings, deal doesn’t raise any competition concerns.

    Mergers and acquisitions beyond a certain threshold require the approval of the CCI.

    In their plea, Walmart has told the regulator that Flipkart is a Singapore-based investment holding firm, which along with its direct and indirect subsidiaries, both in India and elsewhere, is primarily engaged in the business of wholesale cash and carry of goods and providing marketplace based e-commerce platforms to facilitate trade between customers and sellers in India.

    According to the notice submitted to the CCI by Wal-Mart International Holdings, the proposed transaction will be effected pursuant to the share purchase agreement and the share issuance and acquisition agreement entered into on May 9 by and among Walmart’s subsidiary and Flipkart.

    Retailers have joined hands to approach CCI against $16 billion Walmart-Flipkart deal as they apprehend that it would lead to massive job loss and be a “nightmare for retail trade” of the country.

    Earlier this week, traders body CAIT also said it will approach the CCI to file objections on the proposed Walmart-Flipkart deal, claiming that the agreement would lead to an uneven playing field and massive job losses.

    On the other hand, an online sellers industry body has already moved the CCI against Flipkart India Pvt Ltd, a wholesale company, for allegedly abusing its dominant position on Flipkart’s online marketplace.

    Walmart seeks to acquire 77 percent stake in the homegrown e-commerce firm with a buyout of $16 billion.

    Opposing the deal, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has also written to Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, seeking to know the steps being taken by the government to scrutinise the deal.

    CAIT alleged that the deal involves important issues related to FDI policy, cyber security, apprehension of using e-commerce for entering retail trade by circumventing the law etc.

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  • Walmart sales boosted by new website

    Walmart sales boosted by new website

    A new website has delivered a rebound in e-commerce sales for the world’s largest retailer Walmart, but falling margins have crimped first quarter earnings, with operating income down four per cent on a constant currency basis.

    Delivering its figures for the 13-weeks ended 28 April in the US overnight, Walmart said price cuts and higher shipping costs weighed on gross margin, down 23 basis points.

    Despite that sales, up 2.7 per cent on a constant currency basis to US$120 billion, and earnings came in above market expectations – helped along by a rebound in e-commerce sales, up 33 per cent.

    Comparable sales (excluding fuel) increased by 2.1 per cent, compared to 1.4 per cent in the prior corresponding period.

    Walmart launched a new website during the quarter after online sales experienced a slowdown over the holidays, with growth down to 23 per cent compared to 50 per cent in Q317.

    Walmart president and chief executive Doug McMillion said it was a solid first quarter with momentum building across the business.

    “We’re transforming to better serve customers, we are changing from within to be faster and more digital, while shaping our portfolio of businesses for the future,” he said.

    Walmart made a number of large corporate moves in the first quarter, including a US$16 billion deal for a 77 per cent stake of Indian marketplace Flipkart and a circa £10 billion on the merger of its UK supermarket business Asda with Sainsbury’s.

    Walmart also revealed on Thursday that it had sold its banking operations in Canada and Chile in line with its focus on retail.

    Neil Saunders said the first quarter figures were impressive in that, for a company of its size, Walmart has shown an ability to make dramatic changes to its business model in a relatively short time frame.

    “Today’s results are proof not only that Walmart is making gains in its day-to-day business, but that it is now a company firmly in the midst of a dramatic transition. As much as the structural changes are disruptive and, in some cases, profit-eroding, we believe they are necessary in order for Walmart to thrive in a new era of retail,” Saunders said.

    “Too many legacy retailers fail to make the bold moves needed to maintain their relevance. Walmart is not one of them. It has both the will and financial muscle to ensure it remains a retail leader for many years to come. Indeed, we think it is one of the few companies that can truly take on Amazon in a serious and meaningful way.”

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  • Walmart closes in on $15bn Flipkart e-commerce deal

    Walmart closes in on $15bn Flipkart e-commerce deal

    Walmart may have secured a key victory over Amazon in India, with reports surfacing that the board of Flipkart Online services, one of the fast-growing nation’s largest retail platforms, has approved a deal to sell 75 per cent of the company to the grocery giant for around US$15 billion.

    Citing sources familiar with the deal Bloomberg has reported that the world’s largest retailer is closing in on an official offer for the Indian retailer after Amazon, which was also reportedly looking at the business, took itself out of the race.

    The deal is expected to close in the next 10 days, although final terms remain uncertain. A Walmart deal is thought to be more appealing to regulators given Amazon’s position as the number two competitor in the market.

    Should a transaction progress it would represent a significant international capital reallocation for US-based Walmart, which only last week agreed to offload most of its stake in UK supermarket chain Asda in a £10 billion merger with Sainsbury’s.

    For Amazon, which has been investing heavily in its own Indian platform in recent years in a bid to cash in on growing consumption in the world’s second fastest growing economy, the deal represents a renewed competitive threat.

    Flipkart is an online marketplace founded in 2007 by former Amazon employees Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, valued at around $20 billion after garnering investment from the likes of Ebay, Microsoft and Tencent.

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  • Walmart kicks off with redesigned e-commerce platform

    Walmart kicks off with redesigned e-commerce platform

    The world’s largest retailer Walmart has unveiled a complete redesign of its North American e-commerce platform to deliver a more local and personalised experience for shoppers.

    The new website, which is now live, sports a completely redesigned look and feel, as well as several new features, including specialty shopping experiences.

    The move comes after Walmart disappointed the market in February with a slowdown in its e-commerce growth to 23 per cent in the fourth quarter, down from 50 per cent in the prior quarter.

    The retail giant is forecasting a further 40 per cent increase in its e-commerce sales in fiscal 19.

    Walmart’s president and chief executive of US e-commerce Marc Lore oversaw the changes and said that personalisation was a key focus for the retail giant, with new sections introduced that showcase top-selling items based on a customer’s location.

    “The majority of the homepage will be personalised in some way,” Lore said in a post about the new site.

    There will be an area of the site dedicated to customers’ local store profiles, which will provide product availability information.

    Specialty shopping experiences have also been introduced, an area of the site dedicated to a specific category, designed to emulate a specialty retail shopping experience.

    “Customers shopping for groceries and household essentials want to quickly re-buy what they always purchase, while those looking for a new couch want to be inspired while browsing the different options,” Lore said.

    “We want each category to feel like you are shopping a specialty store and we plan to build out these specialty experiences for other categories starting later this year.”

    A home specialty experience has already been launched, while a destination for fashion is on the way.

    Advertising has also changed, providing Walmart’s suppliers with the ability to “better tell their stories” on the website within “seamlessly integrated” ads.

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  • Walmart China introduces compact format

    Walmart China introduces compact format

    Walmart China has deepened its omni-channel retail model with the opening of its first small-format Walmart Supermarket.

    In Shenzhen’s Bao’an district, the store delivers an integrated online/offline experience, with an emphasis on fresh foods, fast delivery and convenience.

    “Retail and lifestyle are closely linked,” says Walmart China hypermarket senior VP/COO Elliot Dickson.

    “Walmart is proud to have been a part of the evolution of shopping in China since we opened the first Walmart Hypermarket here in Shenzhen in 1996. We are introducing our Walmart Supermarket to give customers an upgraded omni-channel experience rooted in their own community.”

    The 1200sqm store stocks more than 8000 items, with a localised assortment strategy that includes fresh products, prepared meals, dairy products, beverages and household supplies. The layout also seeks to enhance shopper convenience with chilled vegetables, fresh fruit and frozen foods given prominence, alongside pre-prepared dishes such as fish with preserved vegetables and stir-fried clams.

    Ninety per cent of the supermarket’s inventory, including fresh, frozen, deli and bakery goods, are also available on the Walmart Supermarket at JD.com. The store has a high-tech stocking system so associates can precisely find products on the shelf and fulfil orders by the fastest product-picking route. This enables the store to provide delivery as fast as 29 minutes to homes within 2km of the store.

    Walmart Supermarket’s soft opening day set a record for stores on the JD.com platform, with more than 1000 online orders. The fastest delivery on opening day was less than 10 minutes from online order to the customer’s door.

    Using the scale and merchandising resources of more than 400 Walmart stores across China, the store introduces electronic price tags to help keep prices up to date.

    Services for customers include online options to buy e-gift cards, schedule home-appliance maintenance, arrange flower deliveries, and make travel reservations. In-store services ranging from laundry to key cutting, shoe repair and Shenzhen Tong card top-ups.

    Customers can use a WeChat mini-program to scan barcodes as they shop, and pay via their mobile device and verify payment in store to bypass the checkout counter. In a two-month pilot, more than one in five customers chose to pay through Scan & Go, with about 95 per cent of them planning to use the new way of payment again to save time. Overall, more than half of Walmart Supermarket customers chose online ordering, Scan & Go or self-checkout during the pilot period. There are nine checkouts: three Scan & Go payment-verification stations, three self-service checkouts, and three traditional checkouts with cashiers. The store provides high-speed Wi-Fi.

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  • New USA tariff plan draws backlash from US retailers

    New USA tariff plan draws backlash from US retailers

    Failing US president Donald Trump is facing widespread backlash from US retailers and brands over his intention to trigger a trade war with China and other nations.

    Just days after announcing tariffs on steel imports against the advice of officials, lawmakers and industry, Trump is now believed to be formulating sweeping tariffs on imported goods from China – a move retail and business groups warn will wipe away gains for the economy from the recent tax cuts.

    “This is not American industries crying wolf,” said Sandy Kennedy, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which organised a letter to Trump, sounding alarm that such tariffs will boost prices of numerous consumer goods, including shoes, apparel and appliances.

    Twenty-four US retailers signed Kennedy’s letter, including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Columbia Sportswear, Costco, Dollar Tree, Gap, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Ikea, Levi Strauss, Sears, VF Corp and Wolverine World Wide.

    A second letter was signed by 82 shoe companies, including Nike, Payless ShoeSource, Under Armour and Shoe Carnival.

    “Adding even more tariffs on top of this heavy burden would mean higher costs for footwear consumers and fewer US jobs,” one of the letters said.

    “Given the price sensitivity of our products, any additional increases in our costs would strike right at the heart of our ability to keep product competitively priced for our consumers.”

    One of the issues worrying retailers and manufacturers is that Trump does not need approval from Congress to implement tariffs. He can impose unilateral tariffs on China citing national security grounds – the same rationale behind the steel tariffs – because a US government investigation had found Chinese had violated intellectual property rules.

    Trump has previously stated he does not fear a trade war because he believes America would win it.

    Widespread media debate about tariffs and the rationale behind them would also distract public attention from numerous controversies surrounding the Trump presidency, including a growing list of women revealing extramarital affairs with him, election tampering and his links to a company under investigation by the FTC for stealing personal details of 50 million Facebook users.

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