Wal-Mart Stores has achieved some success by giving consumers the option to order products online and then pick them up at one of its stores. But what happens when the retailer has very few or no stores in an area? Wal-Mart apparently has an answer for that also, and it's FedEx.
The retailer began testing its Site-to-Store Shipping with FedEx service this summer in Boston and Los Angeles. The service enables shoppers to order online and pick up items for free at their local FedEx office. Wal-Mart doesn't have any stores in Boston and only two in L.A.
"Customer response thus far has been quite positive, and our business team recognizes we have a winning formula," Ravi Jariwala, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, told The Wall Street Journal.
"We fully expect other large retailers to take advantage of this," Randy Scarborough, vice president of marketing for FedEx Office, told the Journal.
"We are planning our physical network to accommodate this because we do anticipate additional demand."
Discussion Questions: Does Wal-Mart have a winner with Site-to-Store Shipping with FedEx? Do you expect many other retailers to quickly follow suit?