Editor’s Note: In this article, the third in a series on all things digital retail, the authors examine how advanced analytics and machine learning are creating new possibilities for customer-centricity. Our first article outlined the evolving competitive and consumer landscape driven by Walmart and Amazon. Our second article discussed how food, drug and mass (FDM)
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has formed an alliance with Japan’s largest online retailer, Rakuten Inc., that leverages each partner’s strengths and assets to expand consumer reach and enhance the way customers are served in Japan and the United States, the companies announced Thursday night after Walmart president and chief executive officer Doug McMillon met in
NEW YORK — Despite the technology that is changing the way stores operate and consumers shop, retailing is still a people business, Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon said on Sunday. “The way the customers feel when they leave the store, or your web site or app, determines how fast they’re going to come back,”
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has named Judith McKenna president and chief executive officer of Walmart International, effective February 1. She will succeed David Cheesewright. Cheesewright has led Walmart’s international division, which is the company’s second largest operating unit, since 2014. He will remain with Walmart in a full-time capacity through March, and will then move into
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has begun offering pharmacy patients filling opioid prescriptions a free drug disposal packet containing a biodegradable powder that enables them to safely discard unwanted, unused or expired medication. Walmart said Wednesday that the packet, from DisposeRx Inc., will now be given to patients filling any new Class II opioid prescription at any
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is reportedly set to cut 1,000 or more jobs, mainly at its headquarters, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which said the job cuts were expected to be enacted by the end of the current fiscal year on January 31. Meanwhile Bloomberg has reported that the retail giant is
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart said Thursday that it will boost the starting wage rate for its hourly associates in the U.S. to $11 an hour. The raise — Walmart’s third increase in its minimum pay rate in three years — is part of a package of benefit improvements made possible by the recent tax reform
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — When Doug McMillon, who started his business career as an hourly worker at a Walmart distribution center in 1984, was selected to be president and chief executive officer of the company four years ago, industry observers expressed confidence that he would preserve the ethos established by Sam Walton, the retailer’s legendary founder.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart reported better-than-expected comparable store sales gains in the third quarter. The company’s online business was also strong, with net e-commerce sales increasing 50% in the quarter. “We are pleased with the strong results in the quarter across each of our business segments,” Walmart president and chief executive officer Doug McMillon said,
BREA, Calif. — GuruNanda has introduced the GuruNanda Mini Tree, an easy-to-use 100 ml USB diffuser for essential oils that utilizes ultrasonic waves to diffuse the oils for up to four hours. The essential oils together with water form a mist that disperses into the air without heating or compromising the benefits of the oil, according
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart and Lord & Taylor announced Monday that they are teaming up to create a new online fashion destination. The companies said that Lord & Taylor will launch a flagship store on Walmart.com. The online store, expected to launch in spring 2018, will let Walmart.com offer a specialized online experience featuring Lord
BOSTON — A new report from global e-commerce analytics firm Profitero reveals that Amazon may be the current online price leader, but that lead could be slipping as Walmart ramps up its efforts to be price competitive. The study, “Price Wars: A Study of Online Price Competitiveness,” states that Amazon’s prices are typically 11% lower