Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores announced it will acquire retail start-up — and would-be Amazon rival — Jet.com for approximately $3 billion in cash. Additionally, $300 million of Walmart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction.   The deal will go a long way to helping Walmart expand its e-commerce growth and customer reach, and also give it more firing power as it competes with Amazon.  And Jet.com’s popularity with millennials will help the discounter attract a younger, higher-income customer. 

Just as Amazon transformed e-commerce through its convenience, assortment and ease of use, look for the pairing of Jet.com and Walmart to introduce additional completion in the online shopping space that will give more options to consumers. Both companies stand to gain exposure to more and different customers as well as benefits in terms of service, delivery, and technological enhancements.   

Walmart is testing a new scheduling system designed to improve peak-hour scheduling and gives its employees more certainty about their job schedules, the Associated Press reported.   The system was rolled out to the chain’s 650 Neighborhood Market stores in July, and could eventually be deployed across Walmart’s entire U.S. store network, according to the report.  

Wal-Mart Stores is in talks to buy start-up Jet.com, an online retailer that has styled itself as a challenger to Amazon, the Wall Street Journal reported.   The acquisition would give a big boost to Wal-Mart’s digital efforts, as well as its efforts to compete with Amazon. At the company’s annual shareholders meetings in June, Wal-Mart CEO Doug said the discounter planned to become more aggressive in growing its online business.  

Top Walmart executive Michelle Gloeckler, who landed 38th on Fortune’s list of most powerful women last year, will leave Bentonville to take over as executive VP and chief merchandising officer at Academy Sports + Outdoors.  

With the addition of Jembro Stores and Cricket Wireless, Saddle Brook Square – in Saddle Brook, New Jersey – has reached full occupancy, according to brokerage firm Ripco Real Estate, which has led the leasing efforts.   The 221,892-sq.-ft. shopping center is anchored by Walmart, TJ Maxx, Modell’s, and 24 Hour Fitness. Jembro Stores, a regional discount retailer, will occupy 5,280 sq. ft. adjacent to TJ Maxx. Cricket Wireless occupies 2,100 sq. ft.  

A diverse mix of retail tech start-ups have been selected to participate in a program aimed at enhancing retail innovation.  

The world’s biggest online retailer took a big step to move drone deliveries forward.   Amazon has entered into a partnership with the British government that will allow the retailer to test and develop new drone delivery systems.