How Walmart Has Used the Internet to Its Advantage

Accessibility

Although it may be hard to imagine, Walmart is not accessible in some areas of the country, particularly in metropolitan areas such as Chicago and New York City. While Walmart fights to purchase land and obtain permits in new areas, Walmart.com can ship to anywhere in the country and any APO/FPO boxes. This allows those who don't live near a Walmart to purchase products from the store, increasing overall sales. Walmart also has websites and shipping policies for eight other countries, including Canada, the U.K., Japan and Mexico.

The Walmart Site-to-Store program is virtually unmatched by any other retailer, at the time of publication. The breadth of the program, thanks to Walmart's unparalleled resources, has made the promotion a success for the company. Site-to-Store shipping means you can choose from a variety of products online and then have them shipped to your nearest Walmart store for free. This helps save shipping costs for buyers while coaxing them into the store, where they might be likely to purchase more goods on the trip.

Walmart knows the value of a good sale, and it's never more true than over Black Friday. The Friday after Thanksgiving is typically when shoppers head out in the early hours to score the best deals of the season. Walmart has used its website to further capitalize on the day's sales by offering exclusive online Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, still sold on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a benefit that has many shoppers purchasing from the comfort and warmth of their own homes.

Some processes are cumbersome and time-consuming no matter where you go. Dropping off film or picture discs to the Photo Center or renewing prescriptions at the Walmart Pharmacy are two services that can eat up your time. Luckily, Walmart.com offers online services, so you can email pictures in time for one-hour pickup or renew your prescription before you head to the store, streamlining the process so you're in and out faster. Walmart continues to test and offer new online services; in April 2011, for example, Walmart began testing an online grocery delivery service, which could attract even more traffic and revenue to the already-booming website.