Compare Wal-Mart Essay

1.Compare Wal-Mart. com with Amazon.com. What features do the sites have in common? Which are unique to Wal-Mart? To Amazon.com? Walmart.com and amazon.com have a lot of similarities. Some of the common features between the two include setting up a user account, they both have the shopping cart feature, both these websites have the search bar at the top of the page, they both allow you to sort through products based on price, popularity, relevance, customer review, they both show you a list of items viewed that matched what you searched for, they both have a gift registry, purchases made on the Wal-Mart can either be shipped to your home or to a nearest store either by Wal-mart or by a third party vendor from the marketplace. Amazon too has tie ups with a number of vendors all over the world that you can buy from. Both websites graphically display user reviews for each item. Both websites allow you to track your order. Both sites have the deals of the day. Amazon’s is called today’s deal and Wal-Mart’s is called value of the day. The only thing I found unique about Wal-Mart’s website is that it has a button on the top of the page called ‘weekly ad’ that displays little coupons that users can redeem. Amazon does not have this feature. Another difference between the two websites is their return policy. Wal-Mart has a 90 day return policy whereas Amazon has a 30 day return policy. 2.Will Wal-Mart become the dominant e-tailer in the world, replacing Amazon.com, or will Amazon.com dominate Wal-Mart online? What factors would con- tribute to Wal-Mart’s success in the online market place? What factors would detract from its ability to dominate online sales the way it has been able to dominate physical retail sales in many markets? Currently, Amazon.com offers a much larger and more varied inventory as well as a variety of features and benefits that Walmart.com is unable to match. While Walmart’s retail stores have a huge customer base, many of whom will turn to Walmart.com for convenience, Walmart.com’s inventory is mostly composed only of products that are available in Walmart stores. Meanwhile, Amazon has a vast array of products in virtually every category imaginable, from all over the world. In addition, Amazon has many used items that are available for lower prices, as well as rare, vintage, and antique items that are not part of Walmart’s stock. Amazon also offers an online â€Å"marketplace,† where shoppers can connect with sellers anywhere in the world, compare products  and prices, and sometimes even negotiate with sellers. Much of Walmart’s dominance in the physical retail market is due to its business model of buying in such large bulk quantities that it can offer lower prices to customers, as well as being a one-stop shopping destination; however, because Amazon customers have the ability to comparison shop between Amazon sellers, and because Amazon is able to offer a much larger variety of products, both of Walmart’s advantages are negated. Therefore, it is very unlikely that Walmart.com will ever be able to replace Amazon. 3.Check the shopping aids offered at Wal-Mart. com. compare them with those at Amazon. com. Walmart.com has a searchable database as well as categories that allow customers to browse through their available products. Search results can be sorted by relevance, price, customer rating, best-selling, etc. Customers can create profiles that store their shipping and billing info for convenience, as well as previous order information. Orders can be tracked online. Customers who search for items at Walmart.com are also offered recommendations for other products that might also interest them. Gift cards can be purchase online, and gift card balances can be checked. Walmart.com also offers wedding and baby registry services, as well as a â€Å"Wish List† that can be viewed by others. A â€Å"Value of the Day† is offered to showcase items that are on sale for even lower prices. Free shipping is often available on select purchases. All of these shopping aids are comparable to those on Amazon.com. Walmart.com does offer one shopping aid that Amazon does not have; many items can be shipped to the customer’s nearest Walmart store for free, which can lead to significant savings. 4.What online services can be purchased on Walmart.com? Walmart.com offers the following services online: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Straight Talk No-Contract Phones,† where customers can purchase a pre-paid phone, have it delivered to their address, and activated online or over the phone; †¢Same-Day Photo Pickup,† which allows customers to upload digital photos to Walmart.com, which can then be transferred onto photo prints, mugs, cards, calendars, etc., or even onto posters or faux canvases. Most of these products can then be picked up at the customer’s local store that same day; †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Contact Lenses at Walmart,† which allows customers to enter  their prescription contact lens information and order a variety of brand-name contact lenses at bargain prices; †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Enroll in a Medicare Part D Plan,† a service which helps eligible applicants apply for Medicare, as well as receive discounts at Walmart’s pharmacy; †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Walmart MoneyCenter,† which provides a variety of financial services online, including credit cards, pre-paid deb it cards, money transfers, tax preparation services, and Bluebird, a â€Å"debit and checking alternative† sponsored by American Express that offers many of the same services as traditional banks. In addition, the Walmart Pharmacy offers many services online, including prescription refills and delivery. Walmart also has a Wellness Center that offers health tips and tools online.