In a bid to strengthen its e-commerce operations and narrow the gap with its competitors, Walmart Stores is aiming to double the number of warehouses it owns for the online division in the US to 10 by the end of this year. That pace is faster than the 8 warehouses that industry consultants expected it to set-up by the end of next year. This will allow the retailer to ship to a majority of the country’s population in one day.
Also Read – Walmart aims to increase online presence in China
In past three years, Walmart has increased its investment in the e-commerce segment. Recently, the company completed its over US $ 3 billion buyout of the fast-growing online retailer Jet.com last month, reflecting how keenly it’s investing to boost online sales that totalled around US $ 13.5 billion in 2015. However, the retailer’s e-commerce section accounts only for 3 per cent of its overall sales.
Earlier, Walmart’s Chief Financial Officer Brett Brigs had said that the company’s focus would be on remodelling and reshaping of stores for e-commerce growth while only 20 per cent of the investments would be spent on the new store openings.
Also Read – Walmart to acquire Jet.com for whopping US $ 3 billion
Currently, Walmart has about 4,600 stores in the United States and over 6,000 worldwide. However, it lags behind its competitors in spite of the consistent investments in e-commerce over the years.
