# Walmart vs Amazon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800 "2017-05-31T22:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/1 "2017-05-31T22:03:06Z")
Amazon has been making noises about new delivery systems, such as drones. Well, Walmart is stepping up their game in a big way. > [@](#): > > Discount retail giant Walmart reported rising comparable sales bolstered by a whopping 63-percent growth in its e-commerce business. The bulk of the online sales growth was organic through [Walmart.com](http://Walmart.com). > **[Walmart's online sales soar 63 percent in Q1](https://www.zdnet.com/article/walmarts-online-sales-soar-63-percent-in-q1/)** > > The world's largest retailer has made major investments in its e-commerce strategy as it tries to compete with Amazon. They’re still far from Amazon’s size in terms of online presence, but only a fool would flippantly dismiss Walmart’s sense of innovation, or their logistics operation. And speaking of logistics– > [@](#): > > Walmart has submitted a patent application for a drone delivery system that focuses on how packages will be received. Instead of just delivering goods to your doorstep, drones would drop packages into secure boxes (lockers) that communicate with the drone. The application describes a smorgasbord of technology that could be used to ensure secure drop-off, including geofencing and a blockchain for package tracking and identification. > **[​Walmart's drone delivery plan includes blockchain tech](https://www.zdnet.com/article/walmarts-drone-delivery-plan-includes-blockchain-tech/)** > > Walmart's patent application reveals plans for a drone delivery service that uses blockchain technology to ensure that packages are dropped off in secure locations. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/2 "2017-05-31T22:36:13Z")
Um Ok, (you can paypal me for the bump) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/3 "2017-06-01T00:38:00Z")
There is a feeling among some people that if drones fly over their private property drones would make good target practice. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/4 "2017-06-01T00:47:10Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > There is a feeling among some people that if drones fly over their private property drones would make good target practice. If drones ever become commercially viable like that, this will become a good way to get a lengthy federal prison sentence for air piracy. (There have been a few instances of people firing on drones and getting off or just getting a slap on the wrist. I don’t think that treatment will continue when the shots are being fired at a thing owned by Big Business rather than some random hobbyists. Especially if drones start carrying goods for delivery, and the assumption moves from “dumbass old crank” to “thief.”) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/5 "2017-06-01T21:16:46Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > If drones ever become commercially viable like that, this will become a good way to get a lengthy federal prison sentence for air piracy. And besides, they’re tough to clean, take forever to cook and taste like crap. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/6 "2017-06-02T00:03:30Z")
They are indeed [considering using drones](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/06/01/walmart-is-asking-employees-to-deliver-packages-on-their-way-home-from-work/). ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/7 "2017-06-03T00:05:11Z")
I, personally, have bought things from Walmart’s website with free shipping several times in the last year, but never before that. So, the trend checks out. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/8 "2017-06-04T23:32:41Z")
Walmart has a long way to go before they can use drones to deliver packages. I did read they are asking employees to deliver packages on the way home, but I suspect most WM employees would like to refuse that chore. I hope that this r&d doesn’t get in the way of the employee cloning and robotics work WM needs to do so that work in the stores can actually get done. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/9 "2017-06-05T15:44:39Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > I did read they are asking employees to deliver packages on the way home, but I suspect most WM employees would like to refuse that chore. I only heard the headline, but there’s no way they could have employees deliver packages on the way home for free. So I think they will actually get plenty of takers. If my employer wanted to pay me for part of my commute time and cover the mileage for my car to have me drop something off on my way home, that seems like a pretty good deal for me. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/10 "2017-06-06T14:06:43Z")
I think that people kind of like amazon and dislike/hate Walmart. For one thing, time and time again, Walmart has demonstrated that they can do things well, but as soon as they feel customers are locked in, they start cutting the service until it sucks. I’ve started ordering more staples online, but I generally avoid WM, because they cannot be trusted. I just finished reading [The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Store-Jeff-Bezos-Amazon-ebook/dp/B00BWQW73E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496757365&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+bezos), and if the book can be believed, Bezos has always been fanatical about customer satisfaction. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/11 "2017-06-06T15:36:53Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I only heard the headline, but there’s no way they could have employees deliver packages on the way home for free. So I think they will actually get plenty of takers. > > If my employer wanted to pay me for part of my commute time and cover the mileage for my car to have me drop something off on my way home, that seems like a pretty good deal for me. I take it you have never worked for Walmart. You don’t think management won’t make employees an offer they can’t refuse? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/12 "2017-06-06T18:40:43Z")
> [@ioioio](#): > > I think that people kind of like amazon and dislike/hate Walmart. For one thing, time and time again, Walmart has demonstrated that they can do things well, but as soon as they feel customers are locked in, they start cutting the service until it sucks. > > I’ve started ordering more staples online, but I generally avoid WM, because they cannot be trusted. > > I just finished reading [The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Store-Jeff-Bezos-Amazon-ebook/dp/B00BWQW73E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496757365&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+bezos), and if the book can be believed, Bezos has always been fanatical about customer satisfaction. Some people REALLY dislike Amazon, because of how they treat their employees. Every so often, there will be another article in the media about the conditions in Amazon’s distribution centers. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/13 "2017-06-06T18:46:15Z")
Just saw this. Auto-play warning. [Amazon discounts Prime fee for low-income Americans](https://www.cnet.com/news/with-an-ebt-cards-you-can-now-get-amazon-prime-for-less/) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walmart-vs-amazon/787800/14 "2017-06-06T18:54:51Z")
did the article mention that about 40 percent 9or more)of walmarts online site is paid for listings? go to the home section and youll find all the better furniture comes from places like wayfair just look at the smaller print and youll see things like “sold and shipped by wayfair inc” ] heres an example for a rototiller wheel :7.31 Sold & shipped by Fix My Toys they just get paid for listing it on their site amazon marketplace style