Walmart Seeks to Beat Amazon at Same-Day Shipping

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Walmart is trying to beat Amazon at "same-day shipping?" How many people think they have what it takes to pull it off? I have a feeling it isn't going to be as easy as Walmart thinks.

For this holiday season, Walmart will send Internet-purchased items to you the very same day as online check-out, in 5 select cities. They charge a $10 flat rate fee, require items be purchased before noon that day, and will not include shoes or clothing. Amazon already offers that same quick delivery time in 10 cities, is set to expand by building more warehouses around the country, and potentially costs the same—but possibly more—at $8.99 per order and an extra $.99 per item. For now, Walmart is calling this a "holiday test." If Walmart decides this method works for them, they have 4,000 stores already primed for this delivery option, while Amazon has only 40 warehouse distribution centers.
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Man, I've had some pizza places that were not same day delivery. As long as the costs are reasonable, it's a nice option I guess. Though being in Canada, I doubt we'll see anything like that for some time.
 
I think they could potentially do it easier than Amazon. I know here in Chattanooga, you can't throw a rock without hitting 3 Walmarts so all you'd have to do is stock as much stuff as you can off the website which they almost do anyway, then hire a delivery driver and run stuff out. So with a Walmart on every street corner, I think they can pull this off pretty well and may beat Amazon at their own idea.
 
Sam Walton has a shit ton of money. I'm sure he can pull it off if he wants to. After all he skimped on wages and health insurance for most of his employees, so I'm sure they have money lying around.
 
They have the logistics network. They single handedly reinvented retail logistics, so if anybody can do it, it is Walmart.
 
MacLeod said:
I think they could potentially do it easier than Amazon. I know here in Chattanooga, you can't throw a rock without hitting 3 Walmarts so all you'd have to do is stock as much stuff as you can off the website which they almost do anyway, then hire a delivery driver and run stuff out. So with a Walmart on every street corner, I think they can pull this off pretty well and may beat Amazon at their own idea.
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This is pretty much what I thought too. They are everywhere. The only drawback is Wal-Mart is horrible at warehousing in their local stores. Since they started offering layaway they use these huge shipping containers out back now during the holiday season. It's really an eye sore though.
 
Azhar said:
Sam Walton has a shit ton of money. I'm sure he can pull it off if he wants to. After all he skimped on wages and health insurance for most of his employees, so I'm sure they have money lying around.
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Hes been dead 20 years.
 
Azhar said:
Sam Walton has a shit ton of money. I'm sure he can pull it off if he wants to. After all he skimped on wages and health insurance for most of his employees, so I'm sure they have money lying around.
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Oh good lord. They get paid what the value of their labor bears. Unskilled labor does not pay much. Should a person with zero skills expect to make $20/hr pushing carts? Nope. Get some specific skills valuable to walmart and walmart will pay you for them.
 
eh...
who buys stuff from walmart.com?

0.001% of the sales as Amazon. They might be able to do it.
 
schizrade said:
Oh good lord. They get paid what the value of their labor bears. Unskilled labor does not pay much. Should a person with zero skills expect to make $20/hr pushing carts? Nope. Get some specific skills valuable to walmart and walmart will pay you for them.
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And I agree with you - IF were they paying minimum wage (not that I agree minimum wage is high enough to begin with, but that's another topic).

You'll find a lot of search results where Walmart doesn't always pay minimum wage.

Walmart wants to one-up Amazon with logistics. Well I hope their employees doesn't riot because their warehouse workers are paid $3-4 an hour in some places.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/lawsuit-walmart-contractor-paid-3-dollars-hour
 
Not even remotely interested in Wal-Mart for shopping, or online shopping, Amazon provides pretty much everything I am looking for, anything else is food related, and if I felt lazy enough, I'd order that online too from someone that isn't Wal-Mart.
 
If any retailer could attempt to compete with Amazon is this regard, it would be WalMart. They've got the physical presence to do it...now they just need to make sure they have online end of it as good...after all, if WalMart.com can't match and/or beat Amazon.com's prices, I doubt people will consider them a viable alternative.
 
Walmart can best amazon but they can't beat them in overall catalog, so I still think amazon will win in the end.
 
Term-X said:
Though being in Canada, I doubt we'll see anything like that for some time.
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Probably not, as it would be difficult considering there is only one road in Canada. BTW, is the plural of moose, meese?
 
Azhar said:
And I agree with you - IF were they paying minimum wage (not that I agree minimum wage is high enough to begin with, but that's another topic).

You'll find a lot of search results where Walmart doesn't always pay minimum wage.

Walmart wants to one-up Amazon with logistics. Well I hope their employees doesn't riot because their warehouse workers are paid $3-4 an hour in some places.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/lawsuit-walmart-contractor-paid-3-dollars-hour
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Solution: Don't work there.

Walmart contracted that out to somebody else. If they are screwing their employees, then place the blame on that company. Walmart and company A make a contract for services, they agree on a price, that is the end of Walmarts involvement. Company A screws their employees by not paying them properly to try and maximize profits. Not Walmarts fault.

The Mother Jones article is placing the blame on the wrong people, as are you.
 
Walmart pays depending on what job you do. A door greeter isn't going to be paid very much but the DSD receiver in the back room will make $15-17/hour. Management makes even more depending on how high up you are. Store managers make a TON of money. I'm no big fan of Walmart as they treat vendors like me like pure dog squeeze but I have to admit you can have a pretty lucrative career working for them and the crap about them paying slave wages is BS.
 
Steve said:
Walmart is trying to beat Amazon at "same-day shipping?" How many people think they have what it takes to pull it off? I have a feeling it isn't going to be as easy as Walmart thinks.
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Not as easy as they think? They are largest retailer... like... ever. They can definitely pull it off.

Do I want them to? No. I want them to lose and die in a bloody fire of retarded corporations that treat everyone like shit. At least Amazon has a reputation.
 
Can they pull it off? I honestly do not care, I refuse to shop at Walmart no matter how good the deal may be. Horrible company.
 
Cyraxx said:
Not as easy as they think? They are largest retailer... like... ever. They can definitely pull it off.

Do I want them to? No. I want them to lose and die in a bloody fire of retarded corporations that treat everyone like shit. At least Amazon has a reputation.
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Amazon's warehouses are brutal. It's all pretty rough labor conditions now if you're not white collar. All the worker protection from the 60's/70's is gone.
 
InternationalHat said:
Amazon's warehouses are brutal. It's all pretty rough labor conditions now if you're not white collar. All the worker protection from the 60's/70's is gone.
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I don't just mean employee's - I can't comment on that for either side. I'm mostly talking about customer and vendor reputation.

You know, those Walmart lines where there is 25 people in line with full baskets, with a whopping total of 1 or 2 people working 30 check out lines? Yeah, that Walmart. Disgusting people.
 
InternationalHat said:
Amazon's warehouses are brutal. It's all pretty rough labor conditions now if you're not white collar. All the worker protection from the 60's/70's is gone.
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All warehouses are brutal. State labor laws still apply. Amazon pays above the industry standard for warehouse workers, unless you're contract/temp, then you get the industry standard minus contract/temp cut. Amazon warehouse employees make many dollars an hour more than the equivalent Walmart worker.
 
Amazon just opened up a distribution center here in Chattanooga and I know several people that got on there and they all like it for the most part. Its not a super easy job with dancing girls and free beer and shit like that and it is pretty tough labor but they're treated fairly from what I hear and the pay and benefits are competitive. Having worked with Walmarts for the last 12 years I can tell you that while the stories of them paying low being mostly wrong, they do treat their employees pretty lousy. If I had to choose, I'd work at Amazon in a heartbeat.
 
Azhar said:
And I agree with you - IF were they paying minimum wage (not that I agree minimum wage is high enough to begin with, but that's another topic).

You'll find a lot of search results where Walmart doesn't always pay minimum wage.

Walmart wants to one-up Amazon with logistics. Well I hope their employees doesn't riot because their warehouse workers are paid $3-4 an hour in some places.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/lawsuit-walmart-contractor-paid-3-dollars-hour
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when you read articles like that (and the source of the article at fairwarning) then you realize unions make complete sense in that situation.

I'm sure walmart will find a contractor who will subcontract the same day delivery service like they do for their warehousing.
 
schizrade said:
Solution: Don't work there.

Walmart contracted that out to somebody else. If they are screwing their employees, then place the blame on that company. Walmart and company A make a contract for services, they agree on a price, that is the end of Walmarts involvement. Company A screws their employees by not paying them properly to try and maximize profits. Not Walmarts fault.

The Mother Jones article is placing the blame on the wrong people, as are you.
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Funny how that works. You guys are quick to blame Apple for Foxconn's debacles. :rolleyes:
 
I'm sure they have the money to do it but they can't pull the talent. Putting the whole warehouse labor issues aside, I know a few people who work for Amazon corporate: They attract smart people (PhD level and above) and pay them very well. I just don't think walmart is willing or able to pay for and attract they kind of talent they need on the backend for it work over the long term.
 
for amazon more warehouse means more stats with taxes, guess we'll need to move to one of the tax free stats.
 
Walmart just needs to hire drivers for each store and presto you got delivery. Amazon would have to have small shacks. Amazon is better off making stores like Walmart than just warehouses and have that delivery option also. Overnight shipping is super expensive with UPS and Fedex. I think Walmart has the upper hand here.
 
yea, their site to store can take up to a week. this is gunna happen.
i dont see this as a positive thing for their pricing, both web and in store.
 
bigpimpatl said:
when you read articles like that (and the source of the article at fairwarning) then you realize unions make complete sense in that situation.

I'm sure walmart will find a contractor who will subcontract the same day delivery service like they do for their warehousing.
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Unions never make sense, unless you are talkign 60+ yeasr ago.

If you don't like the pay, then ask for more $ or find a different job. It's always worked for me.
 
The only company on the planet that has the logistical capability to beat our military supply system is Wal-Mart. I have bought shit on wal-mart online at sea in the middle of the persian gulf and got it in 6 days...

unfortunately, there is not a lot I buy from wal-mart to begin with.
 
Azhar said:
And I agree with you - IF were they paying minimum wage (not that I agree minimum wage is high enough to begin with, but that's another topic).

You'll find a lot of search results where Walmart doesn't always pay minimum wage.

Walmart wants to one-up Amazon with logistics. Well I hope their employees doesn't riot because their warehouse workers are paid $3-4 an hour in some places.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/03/lawsuit-walmart-contractor-paid-3-dollars-hour
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Minimum wage is an illegitimate aggression upon their private property.

If you do not like what they are offering, do not work for them. Labor is a scare resource which means that if Walmart does not offer enough pay, they will have trouble attracting skilled workers.
 
damicatz said:
Minimum wage is an illegitimate aggression upon their private property.

If you do not like what they are offering, do not work for them. Labor is a scare resource which means that if Walmart does not offer enough pay, they will have trouble attracting skilled workers.
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Yes, yes I know all about your longing and desire for this country to go the way of Somalia. :rolleyes:
 
Azhar said:
Yes, yes I know all about your longing and desire for this country to go the way of Somalia. :rolleyes:
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Somalia has a thriving economy, actually.

It is not, however, anarchist. All of the violence that exists in Somalia today is the result of two warring states fighting for power without concern for the innocents who get caught in the middle. Because the two states vying for power, they have not had much time to focus on "governance" of their subjects, thus leading to some of the benefits of a stateless society.
 
Conker said:
Walmart just needs to hire drivers for each store and presto you got delivery. Amazon would have to have small shacks. Amazon is better off making stores like Walmart than just warehouses and have that delivery option also. Overnight shipping is super expensive with UPS and Fedex. I think Walmart has the upper hand here.
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That's where UPS Cartage (part of the Supply Chain Solutions) comes into play. That's warehousing, delivery, pickup etc, all handled for you. Both Amazon and Walmart are talking SAMEday not overnight. Amazon has drivers, the Amazon fresh people, plus they have been hiring up UPS employees like crazy here in WA the last few years. Walmart can use UPS Cartage, or, build their own delivery team.

Or, pizza delivery people will just have more options now.
 
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