In this post, I will address the differences between convenience options for customers available at Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Lowes. Customer trends continue to change, and more people seek convenience. Purely online stores may not be the best option for such a demand. In the past, many retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, and others, attempted to follow the steps of Amazon, only to discover that customers preferred immediate acquisition of a purchased good (Clifford, 2012). The efforts of these corporations are transforming this industry at a rapid pace.
Many companies have taken a slightly different approach to competition. For example, Target continuously combines the convenience of Amazon with the shopping experience, such as interactive displays and in-store events, and luxury that its local customers are accustomed to (Kritzer, 2018). Walmart remains focused on efficiency, expanding the availability and functionality of its pickup spots annually (Perez, 2018). It has a special discount program for such purchases, along with a free delivery service (Perez, 2018). Nowadays, Lowes has a similar service that has grown immensely over the past year, as 60% of all online purchases were made with a pickup option (Grill-Goodman, 2020). However, these features are following the trends instead of creating them.
Customer trends for offline retail did not go past Amazon’s vision. The company, with its constant innovations, such as employee-less stores, new Prime Now options, and drone delivery, remains a strong competitor (Statt, 2018). Amazon closes the gap with Walmart by expanding the number of its physical stores that are also tailored specifically for the needs of the local populations (Statt, 2018). After reviewing all options from these companies, I came to the conclusion that Amazon has the ability to push to the top position among retail chains with convenience options. The firm continues to bring innovative options for customers, while other companies follow soon after.
References
Clifford, S. (2012). Luring online shoppers offline (Published 2012). The New York Times – Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. Web.
Grill-Goodman, J. (2020). Lowe’s to roll out contactless pickup lockers nationwide. RIS News. Web.
Kritzer, A. G. (2018). Target, looking to win market share from Publix and Amazon, remodels six Tampa Bay stores. Tampa Bay Business Journal. Web.
Perez, S. (2018). Walmart to roll out over 500 more pickup towers to U.S. stores this year – TechCrunch. TechCrunch. Web.
Statt, N. (2018). Why Amazon’s future depends on moving from the internet to the physical world. The Verge. Web.