Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats • Hacker News Board

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#101

Post by xwdv » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:16 AM UTC

handrous wrote: post #12

mc32 wrote: post #2

I think Wal*Mart has an image problem. I’ve gone into their stores. Their stock assortment isn’t bad compared to the competition. In fact, aside from Whole Foods on the organic/bio side of things, they measure up very well and better compared to their competition. They are more of a hypermart where you can do one stop shopping ala Carrefour. The issues I see are: very drab color palette. Working class shoppers. Sure,…

Observations about the nearest Wal-Mart: 1) All the employees look sad, all he time. 2) They've obviously carefully tuned their check out staffing so that the lines are always long. This is such a constant that it has to be intentional, and they're doing a good job of it. 3) Sometimes they attempt to check receipts at exit. I don't get that at any other non-membership store. 4) All the shoppers look sad. 5) It's the…

I guarantee that if Amazon was a physical retail location it would look exactly the same.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#102

Post by wldcordeiro » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

mike_d wrote: post #19

mc32 wrote: post #2

I think Wal*Mart has an image problem. I’ve gone into their stores. Their stock assortment isn’t bad compared to the competition. In fact, aside from Whole Foods on the organic/bio side of things, they measure up very well and better compared to their competition. They are more of a hypermart where you can do one stop shopping ala Carrefour. The issues I see are: very drab color palette. Working class shoppers. Sure,…

> The issues I see are: very drab color palette. Working class shoppers. Sure, it’s elitist, but people like shopping alongside people in their own stratum. That is just the store you went to. The company crunches tons of data before they decide on store placement, and grouping like-shoppers by socioeconomic status is absolutely a goal. My hometown for example - one side of town has a Walmart that is very run down an…

Jet was an acquisition though. I get they tried to keep some of its "upscale" shine but they eventually shuttered it for their own online offering.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#103

Post by _wp3r » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

Red_Leaves_Flyy wrote: post #16

I want someone , *anyone*, to knock Amazon down. So here’s some free advice to Walmart. Consider Walmart’s weaknesses and how other companies address them. - manually stocked shelves Consider Costco’s model of placing pallets of product on the floor. Most Walmart’s have the vertical space to go up. Obviously redesigning their store experience is expensive and difficult with a stagnating industry and a lot of staff th…

Walmart has Sams Club.

Have you used the Walmart grocery pickup? It is seriously great, with its own app flow both on mobile and browser. They have been rolling this for years, even in rural markets. It is most of what you have described, complete with store redesigns on the side of the building with covered parking for pick up. Maybe it is regional, but is crushing the southeast.

Getting rid of poor people in a Walmart is a crazy statement, that you should probably edit out.

I agree on the easier website experience for Walmart only as vendor for delivery, but they do have a walmart instock section on the website, which allows you to browse up to the minute stocks and order them for pickup or delivery same day or next.

Your party example is exactly what Walmart Grocery Pickup is.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#104

Post by Jakobeha » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

I've used both Instacart and Walmart delivery because I don't have a car and live ~3miles from the nearest supermarket.

In my experience, Instacart has worked very well: the only issues (2-hour delivery window, tip for delivery) are upfront, but I rarely get messed up / late / bad orders. The website is also great.

The only time I used Walmart, my delivery was rescheduled to the next day, something which never happened with 50+ Instacart deliveries. And the website sucks.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#105

Post by protomyth » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #68

gwbas1c wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Working class shoppers That doesn't bother me. I'm not so elitist that I need to always be with people who are me same class as me. What's more important is that the people catering to me make a living wage. Or, to put it differently, are comfortable with what they are paid without relying on government assistance? The only kind of stores that I avoid because of the customers are liquor stores where half the driver…

Wal*Mart, contrary to popular belief is paying $15 in many locations (as good as other chains).

The funny part is Walmart is paying better wages here than any competitor in retail space.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#106

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

handrous wrote: post #12

mc32 wrote: post #2

I think Wal*Mart has an image problem. I’ve gone into their stores. Their stock assortment isn’t bad compared to the competition. In fact, aside from Whole Foods on the organic/bio side of things, they measure up very well and better compared to their competition. They are more of a hypermart where you can do one stop shopping ala Carrefour. The issues I see are: very drab color palette. Working class shoppers. Sure,…

Observations about the nearest Wal-Mart: 1) All the employees look sad, all he time. 2) They've obviously carefully tuned their check out staffing so that the lines are always long. This is such a constant that it has to be intentional, and they're doing a good job of it. 3) Sometimes they attempt to check receipts at exit. I don't get that at any other non-membership store. 4) All the shoppers look sad. 5) It's the…

[deleted]

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#107

Post by paxys » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

Walmart gets a lot of flak for being old school and allowing Amazon's rise, but they are one of the very few retailers who have actually been able to respond to competitive threats over the last decade or two. Walmart Labs has some great tech and hires top software talent in the industry. They aren't shy about making large acquisitions when needed (like Jet). They have built out their own delivery and logistics network and now offer 2 day, 1 day or same day shipping. They even have their own "Prime" subscription and grocery deliveries.

The business could easily have gone the way of Sears.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#108

Post by wavefunction » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:18 AM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #2

I think Wal*Mart has an image problem. I’ve gone into their stores. Their stock assortment isn’t bad compared to the competition. In fact, aside from Whole Foods on the organic/bio side of things, they measure up very well and better compared to their competition. They are more of a hypermart where you can do one stop shopping ala Carrefour. The issues I see are: very drab color palette. Working class shoppers. Sure,…

At least for me, Walmart is just a vehicle for the Waltons to extract wealth from the country. I suppose if Walmart divested themselves from the Waltons and adopted some sort of pro-employee policies I might shop there more frequently.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#109

Post by pessimizer » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:19 AM UTC

lolsal wrote: post #7

The biggest thing keeping me from shopping at Walmart is their anti-competitive and predatory behavior and the way they treat their employees and vendors. Nothing else really matters to me regarding Walmart. There's no subscription service that would get me to shop at Walmart more than I do today (which is zero). There's no competitor that could decline in such a way that I would shop at Walmart. I know many in my so…

They're all terrible; as a customer I actually love the way they abuse their vendors - Walmart is not going to be happy a lot of returns on your product, they'll just find another vendor. It's like the anti-Amazon, everything I buy from Walmart works well. If both Amazon and Walmart are slime, I'm going to Walmart.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#110

Post by protomyth » Sat, Jun 05, 2021, 2:20 AM UTC

Terretta wrote: post #96

JTbane wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Walmart is also one of the few stores that interrogate you on the way out as to what you purchased. Just not a good look.

Best Buy checks receipts, Costco checks receipts. Best Buy is the most confusing of these as the receipt checker is stationed about 3 feet from the last register by the door watching you get rung up and pay.

Best Buy also like to hire actual cops for their security. It's a nice part time and the employee discount was good. Did make my brother breathe a bit easier when he worked there.