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Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

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Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#311
post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you really though? They do the same third-party seller thing as Amazon.

It's not third party sellers, it's comingling inventory from third party sellers. That breaks the reviews / reputation as a way to check, and it means if there's even one bad egg, even if I buy from Amazon itself, I can still get the wrong product.

Selling fake products masquerading as a real ones. That’s literally the worst case scenario for a customer.

If I buy a product and it has issues—okay, it happens. Maybe I post a bad review or just don’t buy it again.

If I buy a product and it’s something else, the seller should be ashamed of themselves.

I have bought (and returned) countless fraudulent books from Amazon to the point where I had to weigh the books, count the pages, and compare with publishers.

And then I closed my prime membership and I’ll take the longer wait times for a real product.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

There's something to #6. I agree it's pronounced at Walmarts. I've observed the same lack of sensitivity when going to a Costco in a poor side of town vs a more well to do, I've used that repeated experience as an Apples to Apples comparison. The shoppers in the poorer part demonstrate poor personal spatial habits and being oblivious to blocking others or other actions that demonstrate blinders and indifference to be…

It's a true point albeit a delicate one. I have a colleague who is not the brightest (not a developer ;)) and what I've noticed with him is that there's something of a misunderstanding of social contexts in that he interpretes things others do as in bad faith when they're anything but and which is why in such social contexts he's constantly agitated. So he's simply missing the empathy or emotional intelligence to see things from the viewpoint of another person. He'd be one of the people being annoyed that others don't make room for him but also in the same vein he'd be one of those persons not watching out for others simply because he'd have his head full of thinking about himself and what he wants to buy, he simply wouldn't have the mental capability to think about other shoppers in that moment.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#313
post #107

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 netwo…

> allowing Amazon's rise

By doing what, clearing out the rest of the local competition?

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The issues I see are: [snip] Working class shoppers. Sure, it’s elitist, but people like shopping alongside people in their own stratum. When I was very young, I liked talking to my dad about possible business ideas and how to make millions of dollars so I could buy a castle for our family to live in when I grew up (yeah, yeah, I was a kid). One evening, after proposing yet another crazy idea (I can't for the life…

Sounds like it's a bug for him, because he doesn't want the filthy commoners making a mess of the place.

Yeah cool, so by focusing on the 100 customers that brings $1 each, they've lost 1 customer that brings $2.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Amazon nails in person pickup or Walmart nails online shopping.' Amazon has nailed free shipping with prime. In person pickup costs money in time, fuel, available vehicle. Feels like checkmate in 2021 but this may change

I dislike Walmart rather intensely but I know if I order a new Kitchen Aid mixer from them I’m going to get a new Kitchen Aid mixer. Ask me how I know the same isn’t true of Amazon. No matter how good your delivery logistics, it’s not “nailing it” if I get the wrong thing fast.

A thousand nods of agreement. I tell everyone that will listen to stop buying from Amazon and feeding the beast. They know that they have a counterfeit problem and they refuse to face it. I suspect that someone has done the math and figured out that most people won't figure it out or complain so it's more profitable to just let the common binning continue.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Amazon nails in person pickup or Walmart nails online shopping.' Amazon has nailed free shipping with prime. In person pickup costs money in time, fuel, available vehicle. Feels like checkmate in 2021 but this may change

I dislike Walmart rather intensely but I know if I order a new Kitchen Aid mixer from them I’m going to get a new Kitchen Aid mixer. Ask me how I know the same isn’t true of Amazon. No matter how good your delivery logistics, it’s not “nailing it” if I get the wrong thing fast.

That’s the thing with Walmart, they aren’t shady enough to play the same game. Once you break out of the Amazon bubble of faith based “Amazon is amazing!”, it’s just retail.

Once you get out of the Amazon funnel, why go to Walmart? There’s a hundred retailers that sell genuine KitchenAid mixers. Pick the one with the best price, or color scheme you prefer.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#317
post #125
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Walmart is experimenting with something they call “Walmart Neighborhood Market” but I think they’d have done better to leave the Walmart name off it. People who don’t like Walmart won’t try it and people who do like Walmart will be pissed it’s not a Walmart just a grocery store.

Yep , I agree. They don’t need that boat anchor of a brand for something like that. New name, new colors, new atmosphere and of course, charge a bit more for the frills.

They could have called it Waldi and started an amusing trademark war.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dislike Walmart rather intensely but I know if I order a new Kitchen Aid mixer from them I’m going to get a new Kitchen Aid mixer. Ask me how I know the same isn’t true of Amazon. No matter how good your delivery logistics, it’s not “nailing it” if I get the wrong thing fast.

Do you really though? They do the same third-party seller thing as Amazon.

I usually filter by "Retailer: Walmart.com" for any common and/or name-brand item (and price/shipping is usually better than 3rd part sellers anyway). You still have to take your chances for more obscure items, but at least for me that's rare.

Re: Leaked Walmart memo reveals competitive threats

#320

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Amazon nails in person pickup or Walmart nails online shopping.' Amazon has nailed free shipping with prime. In person pickup costs money in time, fuel, available vehicle. Feels like checkmate in 2021 but this may change

I dislike Walmart rather intensely but I know if I order a new Kitchen Aid mixer from them I’m going to get a new Kitchen Aid mixer. Ask me how I know the same isn’t true of Amazon. No matter how good your delivery logistics, it’s not “nailing it” if I get the wrong thing fast.

I’ve commented on this before—you kind of don’t. It will be a true KitchenAid brand, of course. But the actual machine may be compromised. Walmart places intense pressure on their suppliers and often sells Walmart-only SKUs made of inferior parts and materials.

I bought rope there (in a physical store) a few months ago, for tying down furniture in a truck. Got home, cut the rope, it was a foam core with braiding around it to make it seem like true rope.

This applies to their food items as well, by the way.

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