Price pressures serve the retail and electronic commerce sectors. What are the two giants who dominate space, Walmart and Amazon, doing in response?
The answer, according to this week’s news, doubles technology to improve operational efficiency and take calculated movements to capture new markets in the face of continuous uncertainty.
Artificial intelligence (AI) shapes the future of the two societies. Amazon focuses on the commitment and automation of customers Walmart Use AI for the effectiveness of merchants and product supply. Meanwhile, Amazon’s confidentiality changes in its range of intelligent devices highlight the broader debate surrounding the rights of consumer data in an AI -focused world.
At the same time, companies’ maneuvers in new markets, such as Walmart’s deeper expansion in freight services and Amazon’s passage in used cars, continue to illustrate the evolutionary nature of retail.
As the two companies introduce technologies and disruptive services in their respective landscapes, the implications for other companies and consumers are deep.
Read also: The year in Amazon vs Walmart, and a look in 2025
Can retail giants gain in automotive space and transport?
Deepening a commitment made during the summer to develop in freight services, Walmart recently announced a brokerage program To improve its logistics capacities and compete more effectively with Amazon.
According to a Wednesday, March 19) reportTo be eligible, carriers must meet the requirements, in particular according to more than 10 but less than 1,000 trucks, maintaining at least five consecutive years of operational authority and by bringing $ 1 million in civil liability insurance and $ 100,000 in cargo insurance, among other requirements.
The internal Walmart infrastructure and the private truck fleet are one of the largest in North America, and the entrance to the company in brokerage could establish an attractive ecosystem for third -party sellers and other stakeholders in logistics and realization.
Another intriguing development of this week was the point of reported that Amazon shows on the automotive market. Tuesday, March 18, the news announced that the electronic commerce giant plans to help dealerships to sell used cars, as well as news. If Amazon is advancing with plans to sell used vehicles, it could radically disturb traditional automobile dealers and online platforms such as Carvana. With its vast logistics network, Amazon could create a rationalized digital car shopping experience that questions industry standards.
Also on the car front, Walmart said on Wednesday that it would open or renovate more than 45 fuel stations this year. At the end of the year, the retailer will have more than 450 Walmart Fuel and Focalice Stations operating in 34 states.
AI is the next competitive advantage for retailers
Artificial intelligence has become the battlefield of business supremacy, with Amazon and Walmart in deployment of AI to refine their customer service, logistics and commercial operations.
Walmart Tuesday, made his debut a generative assistant fed by AI to help her articles at the source of merchants for her shelves and her online store. Nicknamed “Wally”, the AI assistant generates information from complex data games, diagnostic why the products are underperform or overformative, answers operational questions, raises tickets for unresolved problems and automation of complex formulas and predictions, said the company.
In consumer and retail companies, 77% of business leaders classify Genai as the most impactful emerging economy, according to the Pymnts Intelligence and Ai-Ii Collaboration, “what generative IA has in reserve for the retail industry”.
Also Tuesday, Amazon announcement The next generation of Amazon Connect, launching interactions fueled by AI which can help strengthen customer relations and improve trade results.
Amazon too announcement From March 28, its Alexa vocal assistant will treat all vocal interactions in the cloud to allow new AI generating capacities, which means that users can no longer prevent their voice records from being transmitted to Amazon servers.
On the legal level, Amazon on Monday March 17) marked a victory With the dismissal of a collective appeal which accused the company of having deceived shareholders concerning its price and logistics strategies.
