Walmart

Digitally native retailers are infusing the retail industry with something it can always use: new blood. Here are eight interesting newcomers to the physical space:    Away  

The arrival of German discount grocer Lidl and Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods Markets have ratcheted up the already intense grocery wars and put new pressure on existing players, including Walmart. But one analyst thinks the discounter is well-positioned for the battle.  

Party City topped earnings estimates for its second quarter and said it is on track to deliver its full year total revenue and earnings guidance.    The party supplies retailer and wholesaler reported net income of $25.0 million in the quarter, compared to $22.5 million in the year-ago period. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 28 cents per share, topping Wall Street expectations  

Walmart’s grocery pickup service is available to even more shoppers in the Golden State.   The discounter introduced grocery pickup in 26 stores across Inland Empire, Los Angeles and San Diego, bringing the total number of stores statewide offering the service to 36 locations, according to The Orange County Register. Each store will designate parking stalls for shoppers to retrieve their groceries.    

Walmart is making good on its promise to open 200 learning centers by year’s end.   The discounter is planning to open another employee training academy. The new location, which will be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is expected to open by end of 2017, according to the Argus Leader, a division of USA Today.  

While many other retailers are bumping along the bottom in terms of growth, Amazon increased its sales line (in its second quarter) by almost a quarter.  In real terms, this means the online behemoth took some $7.5 billion more in revenue this quarter than during the same period last year. By any standards, this is an impressive performance -- but it is doubly so for a company of the size and scale of Amazon.  

Amazon’s new delivery system makes a play for a customer segment initially targeted by Walmart’s e-commerce arm.   The online giant introduced a new delivery locker designed for apartment blocks and other housing complexes that may not have services to accept or store packages. Called The Hub by Amazon, the modular system features compartments where packages can be stored for pickup.   

The challenges of physical retail have inspired new concepts and new entrants to the supermarket business in America