Shopping in America: Between Bentonville and Bezos

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UK Only Article: 
standard article

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Under attack

Fly Title: 

Shopping in America

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Lessons from the two giants of American retailing

FOR decades a titan has towered over America’s shopping landscape. Walmart is not just the world’s biggest retailer but the biggest private employer and, by sales, the biggest company. Last year its tills rang up takings of 2 billion, about twice Apple’s revenue. But now the beast of Bentonville must cope with an unfamiliar sensation. After ruling as the undisputed disrupter of American retailing, Walmart finds itself being disrupted.
The source of the commotion is online shopping, specifically online shopping at Amazon. E-commerce accounted for in every that American shoppers spent last year, up by 15% from 2014. Amazon’s North American sales grew at about twice that rate. Walmart’s share of America’s retail sales, which stands at 10.6%, is still more than twice Amazon’s, but it peaked in 2009 at nearly 12%. …
Source: Retailing
Shopping in America: Between Bentonville and Bezos