Nov 16, 2017 - Economy

Walmart revenue soars on strength of online sales

Christopher Matthews

The reigning heavyweight champion of brick-and-mortar retail is making a name for itself in e-commerce, with Walmart announcing that online sales grew 50% in the third quarter, powering the company's revenue past analyst expectations.

Why it matters: Acquisitions of e-commerce upstarts like Jet.com, Modcloth, and Bonobos have helped supercharge online growth, but Walmart.com is also benefiting from innovations like free two-day delivery on orders more than $35 and curbside pick-up.

The better than expected numbers were about more than e-commerce:

Same-store sales rose by 2.7%, well above analyst expectations of 1.7%.
Grocery sales were strong, powering the average customer spend 1.2% and illustrating customers durable preference so far for brick-and-mortar grocery shopping.
Walmart stock is up 4% in early trading.

One problem was a decline in operating income due to shrinking profit margins as Walmart and subsidiaries like Jet.com invest heavily in discounting aimed at growing market share.

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Walmart revenue soars on strength of online sales

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