Power Sellers Unite

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17236 Location: Texas

"Wal-Mart invests in Chinese e-retailer"

The world’s largest retailer said today it has taken a minority stake in Yihaodian, an online retailer of groceries, baby products, consumer electronics and apparel. E-commerce is growing quickly in China, and is expected to reach nearly $160 billion in sales by 2015, Forrester Research predicts.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said today it has bought a minority stake in Yihaodian, a China-based online retailer that launched in July 2008 and now carries more than 75,000 products. Wal-Mart, No. 6 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, did not say how much it invested in the company.

Wal-Mart says that Yihaodian is especially strong in online sales of groceries, baby products, consumer electronics and apparel. The Chinese company employs 2,000 workers and offers next-day delivery of what the U.S. retailer calls essential daily items.

“Online sales in China are growing rapidly and are projected to match U.S. online sales in the next few years,” says Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores and CEO of Walmart global e-commerce and global sourcing. “By investing in Yihaodian, we're continuing to establish a presence in this important e-commerce market, and are moving forward on fulfilling our aspiration of being the leading global multichannel retailer."

more.. link to news article

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17236 Location: Texas

"Walmart.com comes out on top during steady mobile site performance week"

Most of the 30 retailers on the Keynote Mobile Commerce Performance Index registered within a few places of where they fell on last week’s index, showing consistent performance by m-commerce web sites.

Walmart.com6Walmart.com Mass MerchantOnline Sales:$4,095,000,000 Growth:17.0% See More moved up one to take the top spot. Its m-commerce site home page downloaded on average in 5.86 seconds and it did so successfully 99.30% of the time. It earned a score of 990 out of 1,000, according to mobile and web performance management firm Keynote Systems Inc. Lowe’s Cos. Inc. dropped one spot to second with a score of 988. Its home page downloaded in 6.18 seconds and did so successfully 99.38% of the time.

Brookstone Inc. climbed two spots to No. 3, earning a score of 948. Its download time was 6.40 seconds and its success rate was 99.14%. Walgreen Co. stayed in the No. 4 slot with a score of 913. Its download time was 7.53 seconds and success rate was 99.20%. And Amazon.com Inc. moved up one to No. 5 with a score of 907. Its download time was 6.60 seconds and success rate was 98.91%.

more.. link to news article

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17236 Location: Texas

"Shake-up at Walmart.com"

Two top e-commerce executives will leave Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and the retailer will change the way it manages its global online retail operations as part of a major shakeup announced today.

The retail chain, No. 6 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, announced in a corporate memo that its e-commerce leaders in developed countries—this includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan—will now report directly to executives who oversee the store operations in those countries. Previously, e-commerce executives reported to vice chairman and head of global e-commerce Eduardo Castro-Wright.

The retailer says it made that move because shoppers want to be able to move easily between the big retail chain’s stores and web sites. “In these markets, our brands, as well as our bricks-and-mortar presence, [are] well-established, and our customer is demanding continuity between both channels, a seamless experience as she shops in her store and online, comparing prices, assortment and availability,” reads the memo.

more.. link to news article

luckyalive · Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 589

So where is Walmart's online auction site? I'd love to see the looks on the faces of eBay's mangement if Walmart were to announce this - watch their stock tumble. I don't even care if I'd use it or not - I'd like like to see it go down - there is no one more deserving than ebay.

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17236 Location: Texas

The latest and no surprise:

"Wal-Mart raises its stake in a Chinese e-retailer"

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will increase its ownership stake in Chinese e-retail site Yihaodian to 51%, the retailer says. The Chinese government needs to approve the deal, and Wal-Mart did not say how much the stake will cost.

Wal-Mart first invested in Yihaodian in May 2011, but did not disclose how much of a stake it had bought at that time. Wal-Mart has operated retail stores in China since 1996. It currently operates 370 stores in 140 cities.

Wal-Mart says its additional investment demonstrates the retailer’s commitment to growing e-commerce in China. “Our further investment in Yihaoidan demonstrates that we are committed to investing in China in a key growth industry and developing all that goes with it: logistics, infrastructure, innovative talent and new technologies that will help China meet its development goals,” says Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Global eCommerce.

http://www.internetretailer.com/2012/02/20/wal-mart-raises-its-stake-chinese-e-retailer

armourereric · Joined: 25 Aug 2008 Posts: 129

luckyalive wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
So where is Walmart's online auction site? I'd love to see the looks on the faces of eBay's mangement if Walmart were to announce this - watch their stock tumble. I don't even care if I'd use it or not - I'd like like to see it go down - there is no one more deserving than ebay.
luckyalive wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
So where is Walmart's online auction site? I'd love to see the looks on the faces of eBay's mangement if Walmart were to announce this - watch their stock tumble. I don't even care if I'd use it or not - I'd like like to see it go down - there is no one more deserving than ebay.

Considering just how bad Target is kicking Walmarts rear in Southern California, I would not hold my breath

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17236 Location: Texas

"Wal-Mart, Other Big Merchants Start Bypassing The Banks"

Want to know what's missing from the mobile payments revolution?

The banks.

While banks are busy whining about federal regulations, real or imagined, big merchants are moving to eat their cheese.

This wasn't a danger two years ago, or even a year ago. Systems like Square, while growing, are not a threat because they're basically an interface, another way to use credit cards. Even a system like Isis needs banks as partners. When the Girl Scouts go into mobile payments, it's no big deal because the scouts are just finding a way to process existing credit cards.

These moves don't threaten banks directly. They may favor some large banks over others, they may favor new payment networks over incumbents, but they don't endanger banking itself.

The danger has always been that someone else might try to grab the merchant or consumer side of transactions. The danger is now here.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/408421-wal-mart-other-big-merchants-start-bypassing-the-banks

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17236 Location: Texas

"Wal-Mart Gears Up Online as Customers Defect to Amazon"

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s (WMT) customers were latecomers to online shopping. Now increasingly they’re trolling for deals at Amazon.com Inc., (AMZN) putting pressure on Wal- Mart to fix its lagging e-commerce operation.

Five years ago, the world’s largest retail chain didn’t have to worry much about the world’s largest online mall. After all, only about a quarter of Wal-Mart customers shopped at Amazon, according to data from the research firm Kantar Retail. Now half say they do.

That’s changing as two trends converge: Wal-Mart’s traditional customers -- bargain hunters making less than $50,000 a year -- are getting more tech savvy, and less-strapped shoppers who began frequenting Wal-Mart during the recession are now rediscovering Amazon, said Bryan Gildenberg, a Kantar analyst based in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-20/wal-mart-gears-up-online-as-customers-defect-to-amazon