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Walmart announced it will discontinue Jet.com, its online-only marketplace, after a poor showing in their Q1 earnings report. Once promising to tackle Amazon competition head-on, Walmart acquired Jet for $3 billion in 2016 and championed its potential to strengthen company e-commerce. Last year, Walmart saw a $2 billion loss in the division despite the efforts to compete as a digital-facing store.
The earnings report showed Jet.com saw a growth of less than 10% in its main US market. Thus, Walmart will withdraw guidance entering the 2021 fiscal year. Jet.com has seen its fair share of trials since Walmart took over and has faced multiple reorganizing attempts such as the full integration of Jet’s teams into Walmart’s, the shutdown of experimental shopping service, Jet black, and a site relaunch.
Although consumers are turning to online shopping and deliveries in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, digital marketplaces face their own challenges in a changing retail landscape. Intuitively, e-commerce should be thriving, however, the pandemic has increased overhead costs for companies like Ebay and Amazon. This is setting aside what the broader effects may follow in the wake of a collapsing economy.
A statement by CFO Brett Briggs highlighted these broader concerns and the decision to remove guidance from Jet.com. “The decision to withdraw guidance reflects significant uncertainty around several key external variables and their potential impact on our business and the global economy, including: the duration and intensity of the COVID- 19 health crisis globally, the length and impact of stay-at-home orders, the scale and duration of economic stimulus, employment trends and consumer confidence,” he noted. “Our business fundamentals are strong, and our financial position is excellent. Customers trust us to deliver on our brand promise, and I’m confident in our ability to perform well in most any environment. While the short-term environment will be challenging, we’re positioned well for long-term success in an increasingly omni world.”
