Investing

E-commerce Is the Real Star of Walmart's Earnings

Prostock-Studio / iStock via Getty Images

24/7 Wall St. Insights

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) earnings smashed expectations, and the company showed why it is America’s largest retailer. Buried in the quarterly results were the e-commerce numbers. What the company calls Global Ecommerce grew 21% year over year, against an overall revenue increase of 4.8% to $169.3 billion.

Walmart’s e-commerce business is somewhat different than that of Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Walmart’s was driven by store-fulfilled pick-up and delivery. With 5,025 stores in the United States, the company says that 90% of America’s population lives within 10 miles of one of its stores.

Among the keys to Walmart’s e-commerce business is that it saves customers time. They can order what they need online, drive to a special spot at a Walmart store, and have their entire order within minutes. This contrasts with ordering online for merchandise shipped to homes, which can take two to five days. More important for most people is that they do not have to take the time to go into a store to shop. They do not have to park, walk through a store to find what they need, and then stand in what can be a long checkout line.

Twenty years ago, it was assumed that Amazon would take away a huge amount of Walmart’s business. Amazon was easy to shop at, and people could get their orders quickly, sometimes overnight. Walmart has developed a system that is even better in many cases.

Forget Walmart: This Stock Is the Next Millionaire Maker

Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)

Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.

However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.

There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.