Will Walmart ever fail?

[I-39]

Considering how dominate Walmart is, and how it is ever bigger than Sears was at its peak, will Walmart ever completely go out of business, or will it continue to exist in some form for decades to come?

While no doubt Walmart continues to dominate, Amazon has overtaken it as the largest retailer in the United States and this article seems to think the retailer is facing headwinds by losing share in some of its key businesses to competitors such as Amazon, Target, Instacart, etc.

https://www.vox.com/recode/22423706/walmart-memo-retail-amazon-target-instacart

It won't be an overnight process, but will Walmart slowly fade into irrelevance over time?

[Max Rockatansky]

If you believe Alien Resurrection they'll be outlawed in 2349.

[vdeane]

I doubt they'll outlive the heat death of the universe, so I'm sure they'll be gone eventually.

[abefroman329]

My first response was "one can only hope,"  but then I remembered that they could be replaced by something worse.

All I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a Meijer outside Lexington, KY - I had a number of items I needed to buy on the way to Asheville and I thought it would be Walmart or nothing.

[NWI_Irish96]

I doubt they'll outlive the heat death of the universe, so I'm sure they'll be gone eventually.

Earth is going to be uninhabitable long before that, but of course the buildings themselves could last beyond that point.

[Ted$8roadFan]

It probably depends on how well (or if) Amazon challenges Walmart in rural areas where the latter is the only retail option.

[MATraveler128]

As others have said, it depends on how Amazon does. Walmart could potentially go to online only just like Amazon did with the recent closure of their retail stores.

[Revive 755]

I think it depends a bit more on how well Walmart is managed.  Wasn't Sears looking very stable for many years?

[jp the roadgeek]

The real question is will Pfangle ever pfail and succeed?

[Brandon]

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that Amazon will fail before Walmart.

[Max Rockatansky]

I think it depends a bit more on how well Walmart is managed.  Wasn't Sears looking very stable for many years?

Sears was stable before super hedge fund douche Eddie Lampert and Kmart got their hooks into it. 

[webny99]

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that Amazon will fail before Walmart.

That is a limb. I think both are sustainable in the short- and medium-term, although in very different ways.

But to answer the question of if Walmart will EVER fail... I think yes is the safe answer.

[roadman65]

Rome Fell. So sooner or later a small department store will have to.

[SP Cook]

Forever is a long time.  That said, Walmart's secret is not really that secret. Put of the 100s if not 1000s of indistinguishable such stores in what was a regional business for the most part, Walmart put the customer first.  In the marketplace, people gravitated to it, over more familiar such stores, because of the concern Walmart had for them, keeping prices as low as possible. 

As long as they remember that, they will be fine.  Of course, that was Sears' secret too, long ago. 

First generation founds the business, second generation grows the business, third generation ruins the business. 

[Rothman]

Forever is a long time.  That said, Walmart's secret is not really that secret. Put of the 100s if not 1000s of indistinguishable such stores in what was a regional business for the most part, Walmart put the customer first.  In the marketplace, people gravitated to it, over more familiar such stores, because of the concern Walmart had for them, keeping prices as low as possible. 

As long as they remember that, they will be fine.  Of course, that was Sears' secret too, long ago. 

First generation founds the business, second generation grows the business, third generation ruins the business.

Heh.  Keeping prices low is being done to attract customers, destroy their competition and maximize profits.

The real sign of concern for customers is customer service, which Walmart falters in.

Don't tell me someone cares for me when they are acting totally in their own mercurial self-interest.

[kphoger]

No, not exactly.

But the first time that a Starbucks opens up inside of a Starbucks inside of a Wal-Mart, then Judgment Day will immediately follow, and the heavens and the earth will be no more.

[Max Rockatansky]

Forever is a long time.  That said, Walmart's secret is not really that secret. Put of the 100s if not 1000s of indistinguishable such stores in what was a regional business for the most part, Walmart put the customer first.  In the marketplace, people gravitated to it, over more familiar such stores, because of the concern Walmart had for them, keeping prices as low as possible. 

As long as they remember that, they will be fine.  Of course, that was Sears' secret too, long ago. 

First generation founds the business, second generation grows the business, third generation ruins the business.

Heh.  Keeping prices low is being done to attract customers, destroy their competition and maximize profits.

The real sign of concern for customers is customer service, which Walmart falters in.

Don't tell me someone cares for me when they are acting totally in their own mercurial self-interest.

The thing is when does bad customer service begin to drive people away when lower prices are available?  Right now there seemingly is a near bottomless well of people who are willing to put up with Wal-Mart's poor service standards to save a buck. 

[SP Cook]

The Market, in its perfection, says differently. 

[abefroman329]

Forever is a long time.  That said, Walmart's secret is not really that secret. Put of the 100s if not 1000s of indistinguishable such stores in what was a regional business for the most part, Walmart put the customer first.  In the marketplace, people gravitated to it, over more familiar such stores, because of the concern Walmart had for them, keeping prices as low as possible. 

As long as they remember that, they will be fine.  Of course, that was Sears' secret too, long ago. 

First generation founds the business, second generation grows the business, third generation ruins the business.

Heh.  Keeping prices low is being done to attract customers, destroy their competition and maximize profits.

The real sign of concern for customers is customer service, which Walmart falters in.

Don't tell me someone cares for me when they are acting totally in their own mercurial self-interest.

The thing is when does bad customer service begin to drive people away when lower prices are available?  Right now there seemingly is a near bottomless well of people who are willing to put up with Wal-Mart's poor service standards to save a buck.

Yep.  Which is why I think the only thing that would doom Walmart would be if one (or more) of the "dollar" chains went hypermarket.

[JayhawkCO]

I mean, it's going to assuredly fail. It won't be around in 200 years because how many stores last that long?

[Max Rockatansky]

I mean, it's going to assuredly fail. It won't be around in 200 years because how many stores last that long?

You never know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies

[JayhawkCO]

I mean, it's going to assuredly fail. It won't be around in 200 years because how many stores last that long?

You never know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies

Sure, but if you look at just U.S. stores, there are no retailers there.

[Max Rockatansky]

I mean, it's going to assuredly fail. It won't be around in 200 years because how many stores last that long?

You never know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies

Sure, but if you look at just U.S. stores, there are no retailers there.

Minor example, but there is this:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghirardelli_Chocolate_Company

The ruins of the store in Hornitos are actually an attraction in the town.

More on point with retail via Macys:

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8122-oldest-companies-in-america.html

[Rothman]

I mean, it's going to assuredly fail. It won't be around in 200 years because how many stores last that long?

You never know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies

Sure, but if you look at just U.S. stores, there are no retailers there.

Minor example, but there is this:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghirardelli_Chocolate_Company

The ruins of the store in Hornitos are actually an attraction in the town.

More on point with retail via Macys:

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8122-oldest-companies-in-america.html

Heh.  If there's ever a Walmart Square that becomes a tourist attraction for high-end desserts, I think I'll reach for my revolver.

[JayhawkCO]

I mean, it's going to assuredly fail. It won't be around in 200 years because how many stores last that long?

You never know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies

Sure, but if you look at just U.S. stores, there are no retailers there.

Minor example, but there is this:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghirardelli_Chocolate_Company

The ruins of the store in Hornitos are actually an attraction in the town.

More on point with retail via Macys:

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8122-oldest-companies-in-america.html

And they'd have to make it to 2043 to make it to 200 years. I'd bet the under.