Bentonville, AR-based Walmart Inc. BB #:143789 reported third quarter earnings on Nov 17, which included a nearly 79 percent increase in eCommerce sales and 6.4 increase in same-store sales.
Total revenue was $134.7 billion, up 5.2 percent over the previous year.
The company launched key initiatives to facilitate even more digital growth, says CEO Doug McMillon.
“We think these new customer behaviors will largely persist and we’re well positioned to serve customers with the value and experience they’re looking for,” McMillion said, in the earnings report.
Sam’s Club also saw a large increase in eCommerce sales, up 41 percent, with same store sales up 11 percent.
Some of the new digital initiatives launched in Q3 include:
Walmart +, a competitor to Amazon’s Prime subscription service, with unlimited free delivery and Scan & Go checkout in-store;
Drone delivery pilots in the U.S.;
A pilot with Cruise, an all-electric, self-driving car company, to test grocery delivery; and
A new store design pilot in the U.S. focused on digitally-enabled shopping experiences.
The company also recently partnered with SideChef, which includes recipes and the ability to add ingredients to an online shopping cart, which can be fulfilled for delivery or curbside pickup.
