Walmart as Omnichannel Competitor

Walmart as Omnichannel Competitor 

Packaged Facts views Walmart as better positioned than ever to grow along with e-commerce instead of fighting against it. While in-store retail overall has suffered punishing blows, silver linings exist. Among them are in-store services, which play a role in building loyalty among customers, regardless of whether they buy online or in-store and the role physical retail locations play in building loyalty from the omnichannel purchaser. Both are Walmart strengths. Walmart’s foray into dynamic pricing also has potential to boost sales. Assortment breadth and product costs will help determine which retailer ultimately succeeds in employing the technology. Meanwhile, omnichannel commerce, demographics, geography, assortment breadth, and brand expansion are converging to widen Walmart’s customer target, strengthening its competitive firepower.

Walmart as Omnichannel Competitor provides industry participants needed insight into the nation’s largest retailer’s omnichannel strengths and weaknesses, framing them within the context of key competitors. The report is part of a four-part series on Walmart Inc., inclusive of Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club.

This report assesses Walmart usage, products and services initiatives and competitive trends within the context of the broader retail market. It focuses on omnichannel (online, in-store, and aggregated) consumer purchasing trends over time, and includes analysis of click-and-collect, the click-and-collect connection to in-store purchasing, dynamic pricing, subscription, private label uptake, and store format trends. In each case, emphasis is placed on Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club, with comparative metrics provided for other major retailers.

Walmart as Omnichannel Competitor also places Walmart within the context of broader trends by providing an internet-only and omnichannel e-commerce forecast, as well as an Amazon e-commerce share forecast. It also assesses online and mobile purchasing trends, demographic shifts in purchasing, and shifts in in-store purchasing by retail category over time.