Why Amazon is Eating Walmart’s Lunch

I guess the latest trend in business success is annoying customers.  I’m not a devoted Walmart shopper.  I do stop now and then because the hours are good for my schedule and it’s close to home.

The same can be said of WinCo, Costco, Target and Shopko.  I like the grocery shopping experience at WinCo.  Much choice, good produce and great prices, although.  There isn’t much cat food selection.  We’ve got a cat colony at work and I sometimes even feed them wet food because it keeps them close to the building and out of the road (they don’t wander as much when happy and full).  Walmart has a store brand of cat food in cans called Special Kitty.

Or, it did.  Not yesterday, but I was promised the truck would be in today or maybe not.  The shelf was still empty.  A young man nearby seemed annoyed when I asked about the pet food.  “I’m doing inventory!” he snapped.  I replied it didn’t look like there was much counting.  Then, another fellow I tracked down explained they weren’t unpacking out back due to inventory.  When I told him I would explain it to the hungry cats, he was silent.

Finally, I tracked down a manager.  She told me it’s because the third party supplier isn’t getting Special Kitty to the store.  Funny, I remember reading years ago where Walmart’s client partners all had adjusted their own businesses to the retailers demand.  Apparently, cat food isn’t included.  She told me the dry food I usually buy is also out of stock and blamed the same 3^rd party supplier except I don’t buy Special Kitty dry for the cat colony.  I buy a Friskies product in a rainbow bag.  What’s with all these suppliers thwarting Walmart?  The same woman detailed there was Special Kitty in cases on a truck in Utah and it should arrive by Sunday.

The stories change between associates and even with the same associate.  Here at my desktop and in the comfort of home I can order cat food at Amazon and see a truck before Sunday.  Am I missing something?