In Toronto, the Globe and Mail reports that "discount behemoth Wal-Mart Canada Corp. has quietly started to sell food online, ranging from Halloween candy to gluten-free organic cereals and prepared Thai dishes. Its initiative sets the stage for an even more intense battle with grocery rivals in an already cutthroat field."
The story goes on to say that "Wal-Mart, which already sells food online in the United States and beyond, is starting in Canada with non-perishable fare, but will look into expanding into fresh and frozen offerings, spokeswoman Susan Schutta said."
The story goes on to say that "Wal-Mart, which already sells food online in the United States and beyond, is starting in Canada with non-perishable fare, but will look into expanding into fresh and frozen offerings, spokeswoman Susan Schutta said."
- KC's View:
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I will be interested to see how Grocery Gateway, an existing e-grocery service in Canada owned and operated by Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, responds to the challenge. According to the story, it currently is profitable, and "plans to take on bigger rivals such as Wal-Mart by focusing on its core strength of higher-margin fresh foods," as well as by "training its truck drivers, which it calls field service representatives, to provide personalized service, such as carrying customers’ groceries into their kitchens."
That's what you have to do to compete. Something different.
