Answer 2

The benefits of considering the advance of e-commerce for any well managed company cannot be overemphasized. E-commerce is a trend of the current age since the market is fast changing as the customers get more and more digitalized. Many people have come to value e-commerce and shopping for products online and this is a major characteristic of the digital age. (Piris, 2014). This is why Amazon, a purely online retailer has taken its spot among the ‘best of the best’ beating some of the most renowned organization to become one of the best performing companies in terms of revenue. The shift of focus to e-commerce by Wal-Mart is strategic and the company should value it more than it values the setting up of more traditional stores. Day by day online shopping is becoming popular due to the many advantages that customers get by using it. Most importantly, there are no geographical limitations since customers can order for their products and gets the delivered to their door step. Who doesn’t love the sound of that? A customer living in California can order for a product selling at Washington and gets it delivered within hours. This obviously saves the customer the inconvenience of having to travel to Washington to get his desired product. The reason as to why Wal-Mart still stands at 3 percent of digital sales is because the customer is still not well familiar with the type of Wal-Mart that sells online. With more intense marketing of this regionally and internationally, the focus will shift, and Wal-Mart will achieve its desired place in this digital era.

Answer 3

Wal-Mart’s list of latest tactics in e-commerce has detailed some of the most exciting ideas that can move the company’s e-sales to the next level. One of the most effective of this is to increase the number of pick-up locations as they move closer and closer to the local customers. This tactic will help Wal-Mart achieve the anticipated boost in e-sales because the essence of digital shopping is reduced costs and convenience. (Piris, 2014). If customers can get the goods delivered at the local store, it would be not only convenient but also economical for them. The first tactic, involving voice shopping to compete with Amazon’s ALEXA is a good strategy but may not be as more useful as other tactics in the list. This is because it does not address the target which is to reduce costs for customers. It is merely a complementary tactic aimed at improving the shopping experience for customers.

Answer 6

‘More for less’ is a strategy that makes customers get more products at a fairly reduced cost than they would encounter in another store. (Treacy, 2013). In ‘more for less’, customers end up saving a lot of money during shopping since the policy usually implies that the price of goods have to be reduced below the standard market price that is being offered by other retailers. If this is not the case, a variety of mechanisms have to be employed aimed at making customers gain more reduced costs the more the buy the company’s products. Accomplishing ‘more for less’ needs strategies that are first aimed at reducing the cost of operation in order to create the balance. If prices are going to be reduced below the normal market rate, the cost of production and that of operation must be lower than the usual costs. The trick is to get more customers and gain trust and more competitive edge. Once the customers prioritize the store, the sales volume increase and there are assured returns that warrant successful continuation of the business operations. Reducing cost of operation would mean strategies that may involve cutting down on wage bill and cost of raw materials and the cost of supplies. Other strategies for instance ‘buy three get one free’ usually attracts customers and bulk shopping which boosts the company’s sales volume.

References

Piris, L. (2014). Strategic motivators and expected benefits from e-commerce in traditional organizations. International Journal of Information Management, 24(6), 489-506.

Treacy, M. (2013). Customer intimacy and other value disciplines. Harvard business review, 71(1), 84-93.