Abstract

The case ‘Walmart’s E-Commerce Strategy to Take on Amazon’ discusses the various strategies used by Walmart to transition from a traditional brick and mortar retail chain to one that adopted an online and further an omnichannel strategy. The case first touches upon how Walmart planned its digital strategy by setting up a strong team at Walmart Labs, acquiring brands with strong digital resence and creating the role of a CTO. The case then focuses on the various initiatives taken to integrate online and offline operations that helped establish Walmart as a viable alternative to Amazon. Some of the initiatives were Mobile Express Returns, Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store, Walmart Fulfillment Service, and Walmart+ Subscription Service. The case also discusses how Walmart partnered with platforms like Shopify, streamlined product assortments, used stores as warehouses and invested in automation. This helped the retailer experience a 207% growth in its e-commerce buyer base between early 2017 and early 2019.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Gain knowledge on the importance of omnichannel approach to retailing
• Understand the importance of integrating online and offline retail operations
• Understand the various digital transformation initiatives
• Learn about the importance of retail technologies in seamlessly improving online and in-store customer experience
• Gain an insight into how inventory management helps grow online retailing

Keywords

e-retailing; Omnichannel strategy; e-commerce strategy; Retail technologies; Loyalty program; Customer relationship; Competitive Strategy; Digital Strategy