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Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

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Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#31

I've been trying to use Walmart for most of my household internet shopping needs because I dislike a lot of Amazon's practices[1]. In general Walmart is...ok. Their shipping times are pretty accurate, though they will sometimes split up shipments and don't clearly inform you. It also seems like their shipping pipeline is a lot rougher on boxes than Amazon. I ordered a window-mounted AC unit and the box showed up wrec…

I tried ordering a flat screen TV from Walmart. My logic was that it'd be a lot easier to return to a physical store then mail back.

I'm not sure if it was the overall trip or the final delivery but I found the package with the "This side up" upside down. Opened the box and the screen was totally shattered.

Their return process was nice though!

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#32
This is still only on orders over $35.

Walmart still does not realize what Bezo's has done with Prime. He has made it the default option and incentivized users to check there first by removing all the friction.

Having these weird caveats and no 'membership' (which again, makes users think of Prime first) is going to keep Walmart behind for a long while.

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#33
What I wonder: why did it take them this long? Walmart has warehouse-sized stores that are close to almost everybody. And most of America's houses are already visited 6 days a week by a delivery person. Walmart could and should have made a deal with the USPS a decade ago. It would have been great for all concerned.

Instead, they let Amazon practically own the concept, eating away at their huge distribution advantage.

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#34

I've been trying to use Walmart for most of my household internet shopping needs because I dislike a lot of Amazon's practices[1]. In general Walmart is...ok. Their shipping times are pretty accurate, though they will sometimes split up shipments and don't clearly inform you. It also seems like their shipping pipeline is a lot rougher on boxes than Amazon. I ordered a window-mounted AC unit and the box showed up wrec…

Wal Mart's practices have certainly been much worse than Amazon's in aggregate.

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#35
post #3

Target needs to get on this too.

Dataset of one, but I've been more and more impressed with Target's online offerings lately. I've gotten a little sick of the fakes/third party nonsense on Amazon so I tried both Walmart and Target. As long as you're ordering over $35, Target does free two-day shipping, and they've been pretty seamless for me.

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#37

Amazon has rolled out same day delivery for my area and it is too convenient to pass up. I used to go to Brick and Mortar to get my items faster and I felt good that I was supporting them, but now I will have a hard time saying no. Walmart has always had a terrible website experience for me. It's difficult to find items that will be in store for pick up and difficult to tell which items are part of the third party ma…

Coming up with a next day delivery service on scale for every brick and mortar retailer out there sounds like a good start-up idea. Kind of Uber for Walmart or some such thing!

Who says that once Amazon figures out one day delivery at scale that they won't sell it as a platform? Seems obvious.

Uber says that they are the Amazon of Transportation. I'd argue that Amazon is the Amazon of transportation.

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#38
post #33

What I wonder: why did it take them this long? Walmart has warehouse-sized stores that are close to almost everybody. And most of America's houses are already visited 6 days a week by a delivery person. Walmart could and should have made a deal with the USPS a decade ago. It would have been great for all concerned. Instead, they let Amazon practically own the concept, eating away at their huge distribution advantage.

Deal with USPS? Would be hard to find a manager who can make this work and not obviously post it as a huge disaster on their resumee. USPS continues to bleed money, is always understaffed, continues to misplace the mail and is bugged with pretty old technology that is hard to upgrade. Add unions to it and you have a perfect government entity altho USPS is not actually a government organisation. If anything it would make more sense for Amazon mail to offer USPS a helping hand ;)

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#39

I hope they can do a better job than Amazon but I'm not confident. I'm currently gaming their system of one day delivery failure credits because they can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact hat USPS won't deliver to my door and the packages are too large. USPS gets a box, it won't fit, they take it back to the post office and tell me I can pick it up the next day. I contact amazon, tell them it's late because…

That effort does not at all sound worth a $5 Amazon gift card

Re: Walmart announces next-day delivery, firing back at Amazon

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Considering that technically they have one fulfillment center in every small town Sorry to nitpick with an anecdote, but the closest Walmart to me is over 60 minutes away and I don't live in a small town, just one that rejects/blocks "big box" stores aggressively. Walmart certainly has a lot of stores but not everyone has one just around the corner (thankfully)

I know what you mean. Not every town can be like the one with maybe 3k inhabitants and 5 Rewe stores I know in Germany. But still, 60 minutes means same day delivery without too much hazzle. An advantage Amazon doesn't have. Disadvantage is the considerably higher fix costs of Walmart and the like. Dropshopping could, theoretically at least in my opinion, provide that geographic reach without adding additional fix co…

Agreed, and 60 minutes away the "Walmart every 20 min rule" applies. What's funny, is our region would welcome an Amazon "fulfillment" center because of the job creation, but Walmart is "evil".
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