Wal-Mart Eyes ‘Game Changer’ for Express Stores
NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores is developing initiatives to improve logistics to its smaller-format stores "that could be game-changing," William Simon, president and chief executive officer of the company's U.S. division, said here Wednesday during a presentation at the 28th annual Goldman Sachs Global Retailing Conference.
September 12, 2013
NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores is developing initiatives to improve logistics to its smaller-format stores "that could be game-changing," William Simon, president and chief executive officer of the company's U.S. division, said here Wednesday during a presentation at the 28th annual Goldman Sachs Global Retailing Conference.
"We've got some things we're working on that are very, very promising in that context [of less-than-truckload quantities] — a different way to do distribution that could be game-changing for these formats," he said, though he declined to be more specific pending a presentation of its plans to the company's directors in two weeks.
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He said the company is pleased with the 20 pilot Walmart Express stores, which range from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet, noting they have performed "very, very well for us."
"They deliver really, really well against three competitive sets: against dollar stores, because they carry fresh food, pharmacy and gas and have a pricing advantage; against drug stores, because of a significant price advantage, plus fresh food and gasoline; and against small grocery stores, because they have a competitive price advantage."
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