Wal-Mart Start Thanksgiving Deals At 6 p.m., Will Retailer Offer Same-Day Delivery?

As the economy shows signs of getting better, retailers are very hopeful that shoppers are going to come out this year and do a lot of spending. With the holiday shopping season officially beginning on Thanksgiving, retailers are gearing up to make their big push for advertising sales. In fact, many retailers are doing a number of creative business strategies for the holiday season and they are not holding back any punches to their competitors. Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world and has made a move the company has never made for shoppers on Thanksgiving—until now.

Wal-Mart has announced it will open their doors at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, which is the earliest the retail giant has opened on Thanksgiving. This is two hours earlier than the retailer opened in 2012. Wal-Mart is releasing this announcement with over two weeks away from Thanksgiving. Its’ competitors are watching and probably will have to adjust their Thanksgiving and Black Friday schedules to draw shoppers. Whether this will be a trend to follow for its’ competitors remains to be seen.

During the Thanksgiving Sale, Wal-Mart is going to be offering door buster deals and slashing prices on popular items. Shoppers will be able to find deep discounts on tablets, home appliances, TV’s, and toys, yet only at specific times on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Some of the popular items for sale will be the Funai 32-inch HD TV for $98, the Apple 16 GB Wi-Fi Enabled iPad mini for $299 with a $100 Wal-Mart gift card, an HP Pavillion TouchSmart Laptop for only $278, and much more. Wal-Mart’s chief merchandising officer Duncan MacNaughton stated in the report that Wal-Mart promises to have 65% more TV’s and double the amount of tablets in stock than last year.

Customers that arrive early on Thanksgiving Day will not have wait in line. Early customers will be given wristbands upon arrival, and they will be able to browse the store until the sale begins. The sales are being done in phases and once Wal-Mart begins the phase for the item, shoppers will have to get back in line to purchase the product they’ve been waiting for. Local store managers will also drop prices on certain categories and brands, which customers can check Wal-Mart’s Facebook Thanksgiving pages for details.

Wal-Mart also has plans for online sales as well beginning Thanksgiving morning. There will be online-only deals offered, such as the iPad 2 for $75 off and the Samsung 40-inch HD TV for $379, which is discounted $50 from its’ regular price. Wal-Mart will give customers the option to order items online, and come in the physical store to pay for it and pick it up. This is another value-added service that is very convenient for the shoppers who desire to avoid the Thanksgiving crowd. Some shoppers would probably even desire for Wal-Mart to offer same-day delivery of online purchases for a premium fee during the holiday shopping season as well.

Same-day delivery is a service that Wal-Mart has implemented in various US cities, yet will the retailer offer the service during this time is a big question. Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express is perfect to partner with because the courier is able to implement a delivery solution quickly. The Chicago Courier works for Wal-Mart or any other e-retailer looking to gain ground during the holiday shopping season.

Reference: 11.12.13, CNN Money, Emily Jane Fox, Wal-Mart Thanksgiving deals start at 6 p.m.

Amazon Looking To Launch Same-Day Delivery Groceries In Bay Area

A lot of retailers are getting involved with same-day delivery for all types of products. Google is testing the service with everyday products from Target, American Eagle Outfitters and more. Wal-Mart is doing various items of same-day delivery in US cities and China, even offering same-day grocery delivery. This is a service retail giant Amazon is currently offering in its’ hometown Seattle, yet they now have their sights on launching the service in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The San Francisco Business Times has reported some recent findings via the Wall Street Journal that Amazon is preparing to begin same-day grocery delivery in the Bay Area. This same-day grocery service is known as AmazonFresh. The company now has a warehouse about 60 miles from San Francisco and San Jose. It appears they have positioned a location within a close proximity in order to provide the service. Amazon has had this service for over five years in Seattle and has recently launched same-day delivery in Los Angeles. It is no surprise the well-known retailer is expanding there.

Amazon has mentioned a number of job listings as the company gears up to operate in the Bay Area. They have positions available for quality assurance and research & development, which the company mentions that candidate will have to manage a large fulfillment network. To successfully tackle a new service such as this, Amazon is going to need some great people. The question is will they partner with  like A-1 Express to perform the actual grocery deliveries or will Amazon hire its’ own drivers.

Amazon isn’t the only company implementing same-day delivery for groceries in the Bay Area. Wal-Mart is doing it already. Also, Instacart and PostMate have their hand in the jar and offering same-day grocery deliveries. Amazon is leading the pack regarding the emergence of online retail and is growing at a fast rate. Physical retailers like Target, Best Buy, Macy’s, Staples, and others have all jumped in as well to increase their store sales by creating an outlet for selling online. The e-commerce industry is growing at 16% per year and may growing at 17% by year’s end. There is the reason for investing in producing sales where most people hang out, which is online.

One thing is for sure, retailers must have found a certain niche that same-day grocery service will provide in the coming years ahead. Same-day delivery is an innovative service; however, some experts do not think it is sustainable. The price to make it attractive to shoppers can not continue and will end up costing retailers a lot more than they’ll end up making. This will result in inevitable service cost increases for the customers, which will in turn, drive shoppers back to brick-and-mortar retail store locations.

Regardless, same-day delivery of groceries appears to be a great fit because it benefits the customers relative to their time and having to commute to the physical store themselves. Customers may not mind paying an additional charge along with their grocery bill because it makes sense. A-1 Express is a San Francisco Courier that can team up with retailers to implement a sound same-day delivery grocery solution.

Reference: 10.8.13, San Francisco Business Times, Renee Frojo, Amazon moves toward same-day grocery delivery in Bay Area

Staples Match Amazon’s Prices, Could Use Same-Day Courier

When it comes to competing for online business in the US, companies have to do what it takes in the retail industry. Staples is one company that is after the online market but is competing in a different way. With physical stores at their disposal to sell products, the retailer has come up with a great strategy to generate sales. The change probably could not have come at a better time with the holiday season almost officially upon us.

Staples has decided to match Amazon’s prices for the holiday season. The office retail giant will match online and in-store pricing for all their customers. The new “Price Match Guarantee” program only applies to Amazon purchases. Staples also stated that that it also applies to “any retailer who sells products in both retail stores and online under the same brand”. Customers will be able to take advantage of the deal beginning November 1st.

Staples is not the first big name retailer to offer a price-matching program. Other retailers such as Toys-R-Us, Fab.com and Target. This is a great strategic move for retailers to get a head start on online shopping, especially when competing to retail leaders like Amazon. The price matching should attract many shoppers to at least come to the Staples web site to compare the costs. Shoppers are looking at their bottom line more than ever and every bit of money they can save will be worth it. Without the price-matching program, brick-and –mortar companies like Staples won’t be able to keep up with the growth of Amazon.

Senior VP of North American stores and online Marketing stated in the report her her take on the holiday pricing initiative. She stated, “Staples is committed to offering great products at the best prices. Whether shopping in-store or online, Staples customers will be able to shop confidently, during the holiday season and beyond, knowing that we are providing them with all the right products and must-have gifts at the lowest prices.”

The retailer didn’t say how long the price match guarantee program will last. If the service is successful during the holidays, Staples could very well be continue price matching to compete against Amazon. Staples can also compete with Amazon by providing same-day delivery of their online and store products. Amazon continues to build distribution centers throughout the US and many experts agree that the retail giant is gearing up to offer same-day delivery. Amazon already offers same-day grocery services, as well as Wal-Mart.

Staples can offer these types of local deliveries via a Same-Day Courier such as A-1 Express. This Chicago Courier has a national footprint and brings a lot of courier expertise to the table. A-1 Express can not assist Staples in delivering its’ online order from their stores to their customers’ destination, but also their customers can be recommended by Staples to pick up their store orders. This holiday season, online retail is expected to grow this year once again, therefore, same-day delivery can make Staples more attractive, not just the price matching.

Reference: 10.10.13, Internet Retailer, Thad Reuter, Staples Matches Amazon’s Prices

Amazon Begins New Tax Deal, May Implement Same-Day Delivery

The largest online retailer in the world is no other than Amazon, and the pack is trying to follow their lead. Expansion for the online giant appears to be effortless, even in regards to the transition into state sales tax collections. As Amazon builds more distribution facilities in various states, the more tax collections begin. The latest tax deal for Amazon is now in Maryland.

Internet Retailer has reported Amazon has announced Maryland is the newest state it will begin collecting taxes in. The retail giant is planning to build a 1-million-square-feet distribution center in the city of Baltimore. As a result, taxes will begin to be extended to the residents of Maryland, which makes this the 15th state in the US for Amazon. It has not been disclosed when Amazon's distribution center will open, however, more than likely it will soon. The new facility will also bring an increase in employment to the area. Amazon expects to create over 1,000 jobs to operate their new facility. With a growing, yet slow economy, the new move will turn out to benefit Amazon and the state of Maryland.

This will be the company's first physical presence in Maryland. With adding this state to its' belt, Amazon will now have tax collections for over 50% of the US population. This is very large figure for the e-retailer to now be reaching. There is no telling what their business strategy is in the coming years ahead. Amazon will not be building the facility from the ground up. Instead, it is working toward building the facility on a former industrial property used by a General Motors Corporation plant in the port of Baltimore. This reaffirms that Amazon will not waste any time getting this facility built, as it continues to move at a pace its' competitors are having to keep up with.

Amazon may be new to the state, but not to the northeast region. Late last year, Connecticut was added to the list, in which Amazon agreed to make a $50 million investment to build a distribution center there. Virginia, Arizona and New Jersey were added in 2013 as well. In 2012, the retailer started collecting sales tax in Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and Massachusetts. Amazon will also begin new tax collections in Wisconsin on November 1st of this year. To date, Amazon has opened 40 distribution centers and 89 fulfillment centers worldwide.

At this pace, it appears Amazon will at some point be collecting sales tax in every state in the country. What that means is the company will probably have a physical presence in every state as well. With this level of reach that Amazon will have to their customers, it very well may be gearing up to provide same-day delivery nationwide. Large retailers such as eBay, Wal-Mart, Macy's, Target, Google, and more have all started testing and implementing same-day delivery in various US cities. Online retail is growing annually by 16% and may reach 17% this year. With this type of growth, having the ability to offer same-day delivery makes online purchasing even more attractive and convenient for shoppers.

It is clear that Amazon will have some form of delivery system to meet the needs of its' customers, especially having multiple distribution centers throughout the US. Amazon is more and more closer to their customers, therefore, same-day delivery would make sense. The e-retailer could partner with a Same-Day Courier such as A-1 Express to help it quickly implement a same-day delivery solution nationwide. This Baltimore Courier has a national footprint and a superior courier technology-based operation, enabling the courier to successfully offer same-day delivery on a large scale. This would be ideal for a well-known online retail company like Amazon, as it continues to rapidly expand its' market.

References: 10.25.13, Internet Retailer, Paul Demery, Amazon's New Tax State

Click And Mortar Is How To Compete With Amazon, Use Same-Day Couriers To Deliver

It appears nothing is going to stop e-commerce from continuing to flood the retail market. With ipads, tablets, and other tech gadgets at the disposal of shoppers, retailers have accepted that they must find a way to interact with effectively selling online. Retailers now have probably found the best route to connect the physical brick-and-mortar location with online shopping. This may also be the best route to take to compete against the number one e-retailer in the world—Amazon.

Amazon is growing fast and retailers are after finding a niche to compete. In a recent report by Reuters, Experts are finding that “click and mortar”, or “click and pick”, is the best way for retailers to compete against Amazon. Click and mortar is a service that consists of the shopper having the ability to purchase items online and then going to pick up those items from their nearest local retail store. It combines store and online shopping.

It is interesting that click and mortar is not just a service being implemented in the US, but around the world. For example, the same competition is occurring in Britian regarding e-retail. Georges Plassat, head of Carrefour, spoke highly of click and mortar. He stated in the report, "I am totally convinced that click and mortar is the future". Carrefour is the number two retailer in the world. As big the company is, they are finding that it must have some form of success online. They cannot allow e-retailers like Amazon to gain too much e-commerce ground.

Another statistic to inform us of the global state of retail is a survey conducted by the Australian Centre of Retail Studies. It stated that 68% of retailers believe physical stores will remain the most important channel for shoppers, regardless of e-retailers. It will be a challenge for even e-retailers like Amazon, to be the bedrock for retail shopping within itself. However, it definitely can affect the pace of growth for physical stores. Mobile commerce is emerging as a force for e-retail as well.

E-retailers, specifically Amazon, are being seen as a threat to physical stores and some retailers taken the retail giant seriously enough to act. "Customers want to combine pure online with visiting stores. Stores have a big role to play," said Mark Lewis, head of John Lewis Online, a division of John Lewis, Britain’s biggest department store firm. The online company accounts for over 25% of group sales and is expected to reach 40%. This brings to mind retailers like Wal-Mart, which have implemented click and mortar to compete. Wal-Mart, Macy’s, Target, and others have also launched same-day delivery to offer shoppers the option of delivering their online purchases right to their front door.

Retailers that offer click and mortar can partner with same-day couriers like A-1 Express to offer innovative services like same-day delivery. As a partner, A-1 Express can be a recommended one-stop source for same-day delivery that customers are referred to. Therefore, instead of the shopper having only one option to pick it up themselves, they can as call on the San Jose Courier to deliver their online items directly to them.

Reference: 10.9.13, Reuters, Emma Thomasson and Dominique Vidalon, Retailers see "click and mortar" as way to beat Amazon