Walmart, already the nation's biggest grocer, has decided to try home delivery. The retail giant is experimenting in San Jose, Calif., with a new online service called "Walmart To Go," which lets shoppers order fresh food and other supermarket fare on Walmart.com and have it delivered to their doorstep for a $5 fee. While companies such as Amazon, Peapod, Safeway, and Fresh Direct already offer similar services, other chains have failed in their attempts to conquer the online market. Is Walmart wise to give such a risky venture a try?
Yes, this is a smart move: This service could help Walmart sell even more groceries, says Craig Johnson of consulting firm Customer Growth Partners, as quoted by The New York Times, because right now very few customers pop into massive Walmart stores to do their quick shopping. But the company will have to iron out mind-boggling logistical issues to make this work. "These are not simple operations to set up profitably, as Webvan and a host of others have found out over the years."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
UK-India trade deal: how the social security arrangements will workThe Explainer A National Insurance exemption in the UK-India trade deal is causing concern but should British workers worry?
-
Man arrested after 'suspicious' fires at properties linked to Keir StarmerSpeed Read Prime minister thanks emergency services after fire at his former family home in north London
-
Elon Musk's SpaceX has created a new city in Texasunder the radar Starbase is home to SpaceX's rocket launch site
