Walmart’s newest purchase another shot at rival Amazon

Sally McDonald | April 11th, 2018

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Walmart has announced plans to acquire Bonobos, a men’s clothing retailer, for $310 million. You may have missed this news due to Amazon’s high-profile disclosure of its intent to purchase Whole Foods in a deal valued at $13.7 billion. These announcements continue to fuel the increasingly competitive retail and grocery wars.

From big box behemoth to e-commerce rival

Someone has poked the bear because Walmart — formerly known as a brand with a yellow smiley face and a poor (at best) in-store experience — is consistently purchasing innovative, streamlined brands to stake a bold claim in the e-commerce world.

The retailer plans to sell Bonobos clothing on Jet.com, another acquisition that Walmart made for $3 billion to accelerate e-commerce growth.

The strategy must be working because Walmart’s e-commerce sales grew by 63% last quarter.

It’s nearly impossible to keep up with all of the changes, so here’s a look at Walmart’s big moves in the e-commerce space.

Walmart’s e-commerce timeline

2000: Walmart.com launches
2007: Walmart.com launches Site to Store service, enabling customers to make a purchase online and pick up merchandise in stores
September 2016: Walmart acquires Jet.com
January 2017: Walmart announces free two-day shipping
February 2017: Walmart acquires Moosejaw, an outdoor retailer, for $51 million
March 2017: Walmart acquires ModCloth, an online women’s fashion retailer
June 2017: Walmart launches kiosks for quick and easy pickup
June 2017: Walmart announces plans to acquire Bonobos

So what’s next? While the Amazon purchase of Whole Foods isn’t final yet, the e-commerce giant is already hinting at possible changes like cutting costs to lower prices.

Nonetheless, this retail showdown will be a battle for your dollar and, hopefully, your wallet will win the war with lower prices and a better shopping experience!