Walmart/FedEx Office
- Walmart is adding 500 new FedEx Office locations inside stores across the US.
- People can ship, pack, and print items at the FedEx locations, helping make Walmart a "one-stop-shop" for customers.
- In-store services give Walmart an edge in its competition with Amazon, which lacks physical stores.
Walmart is doubling down on its deal with FedEx.
On Tuesday, the
The decision follows a pilot program in which Walmart added FedEx Office locations where shoppers can pack, ship, and print items at 47 locations. In a press release, FedEx also noted that customers can have their packages held at FedEx Office locations for up to five business days.
Walmart
"Our busy customers view our stores as a one-stop-shop for all the products and services they are looking for," Daniel Eckert, Walmart's senior vice president of services and digital acceleration, said in a statement.
Walmart's emphasis on its capacities as a "one-stop-shop" highlights the retailer's game plan to compete with e-commerce rivals such as Amazon.
Online shopping has become increasingly related to convenience, as retailers speed up shipping times and experiment with an array of pick-up options. However, there's more to convenience than never leaving the house to go shopping.
Another way to making shopping more convenient for customers is to make retail locations a one-stop-shop. To attract customers, retailers increasingly have to make a shopping experience exceptional - or just practical.
While Walmart is making changes to boost stores' quality and cleanliness, it is mostly focusing on becoming the practical solution for shoppers' concerns. In addition to selling a wide range of products, customers can also refill prescriptions, print photos, and get tech support.
Amazon's lack of brick-and-mortar locations means that it can't compete with Walmart on these services. However, the e-commerce giant may be looking to fix that weakness. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Amazon is considering buying some of Toys R Us' stores as the company considers expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint.