Walmart turns its stores into fulfillment centers as the two mega leading retailers battle to become the online consumer favorite.
“The store is becoming a shoppable fulfillment center,” said Tom Ward, chief ecommerce officer for Walmart US.
Walmart is using its massive store footprint in various supply chain and delivery strategies. Its 4,700 US stores are being used as launch pads for delivery drones and direct-to-fridge deliveries, and the retailer also plans to begin packing and shipping third-party products from its stores.
Ward is an experienced supermarket and delivery leader who stepped into his role this past February. His quest is to drive ecommerce sales and provide customers the opportunity to shop whichever way they prefer.
“We don’t want to show any friction. We don’t want to show any plumbing,” said Ward. “We want to solve all the magic behind the scenes and make it seamless so they can buy a filet steak and a bag of apples and a t-shirt and a microwave, and they can get it fulfilled anywhere that they want to get it fulfilled.”
