Amazon vs. Walmart: Grocery Wars
Amazon lowered the boom on Walmart (NYSE:WMT). As the discount retailer announced plans to acquire Bonobos Friday—a men’s clothing company for $310 million, Amazon said it plans to buy Whole Foods (NYSE:WFM) for $13.7 billion.
Walmart shares finished the session 3% lower, a sign investors are betting Amazon’s e-commerce strategy will continue to dominate the industry, its shares jumped over 2%.
Amazon’s bet on the organic grocer will help the company better compete against Walmart—which is currently the leading grocer —beating out competitors like Safeway and Kroger (NYSE:KR)—according to a 2015 Consumer Report that says the retailer captures about 25% of the grocery market in the U.S., up from around 7% in 2002.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KR | THE KROGER CO. | 59.82 | +2.39 | +4.16% |
| COST | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. | 899.25 | +9.08 | +1.02% |
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 83.44 | -0.25 | -0.30% |
| TGT | TARGET CORP. | 147.28 | -3.79 | -2.51% |
On Thursday, Kroger shares had the biggest percentage drop, 24.6%, since 1999. The chain posted its second-straight quarter of same-store sales declines and lowered its 2017 guidance. Additionally, both Walmart and Amazon are experimenting with drive-up grocery stores models.
In May, Amazon opened up two test locations in Seattle, which will allow Amazon Prime subscribers to place a grocery order online and then pick-up at a drive through window.
Walmart announced similar plans last week with a plan to test an automated grocery kiosk at a store location in Oklahoma City. The concept will allow customers to order groceries thru their app and pickup it up at a location using a special code.
As Amazon targets Walmart’s grocery arm, Walmart has been doing the same by ramping up its overall e-commerce push. Along with today’s deal, it recently acquired apparel retailers Moosejaw and Modcloth. Last August, it paid $3 billion for consumer products retailer Jet.com.
