How Amazon’s Monopoly Falls Apart BY ANDY SWAN, FOUNDER, LIKEFOLIO Walmart (WMT) was built for in-store shopping. Nearly every store sits within 10 miles of most Americans. And for decades, that physical footprint defined the brick-and-mortar giant. 
Source: ScrapeHero.com Not anymore. That same massive reach now extends into e-commerce as Walmart turns local stores into fulfillment hubs, expands delivery, and adds marketplace scale. This strategy has helped it become a formidable competitor in the online shopping space, even to the reigning king, Amazon.com (AMZN). Even as consumers struggled with persistent inflation and the stock faced tariff uncertainty, WMT shares have managed to push 50% higher over the last year. 
Source: TradingView Read on to see what made Walmart’s expansion into e-commerce so successful. This retailer is taking on Amazon in virtually every arena where it competes – and LikeFolio’s forward-looking consumer insights suggest those same drivers are poised to push WMT shares even higher… | Recommended Link | | | | For 40 years, Louis Navellier has had a front-row seat to history’s greatest wealth creation events. His proprietary stock grading system – what some have called “Wall Street’s FICO score” – has helped transform everyday Americans into millionaires. During one remarkable 15-year stretch, his recommendations turned every $1 invested into $41. These aren’t just claims. They’re documented successes that have led major financial institutions to pay a fortune for Louis’ insights. But what he’s seeing now is unlike anything in his four decades on Wall Street. |  | | A Slow Start That’s Paying Off Walmart only truly jumped into e-commerce less than a decade ago with its 2016 acquisition of Jet.com. And just a few years ago, that e-commerce business was expensive and inefficient. It lacked third-party sellers, had limited delivery infrastructure, and wasn’t generating profit. But the company rebuilt its e-commerce strategy around marketplace expansion, Walmart+ subscriptions, and retail media ads. And now, it’s seeing results. Walmart hit a major milestone in the first quarter of 2025: companywide e-commerce was profitable. While growing e-commerce revenue was a significant contributor, up 22% year over year and outpacing the company’s total revenue growth of 4%, Walmart’s operations were the key to closing the profitability gap. Walmart has densified its last-mile network, layered in delivery fees, and leaned on in-store fulfillment to cut costs. The company expects delivery services to be able to reach 95% of U.S. households in under three hours. 
Walmart still remains far behind Amazon in overall e-commerce share. As of 2024, Amazon captured 42% of U.S. e-commerce spend while Walmart had 9.6%. However, Walmart is growing its share faster, and gaining momentum, according to our predictive demand data. Walmart’s web visit growth is currently dominating other retail giants in both e-commerce and wholesale (+18% year over year): 
Beyond its website success, Walmart’s app is gaining significant traction with consumers. Daily active user growth is trending at a three-year high of +19% year over year: 
Walmart’s member-only wholesale retailer, Sam’s Club, has also seen solid app usage growth, with monthly active users up 8% year over year. Last quarter saw 50% of Sam’s Club members make digital transactions. In fact, the Sam’s Club app is beginning to elevate its shopping experience above Costco Wholesale (COST) for many users. 
International Ambitions While Walmart closed the profitability gap for e-commerce on an enterprise level, its international e-commerce still remains unprofitable… though likely not far behind. In its international segment, Walmart is eyeing $200 billion in sales by 2028 through similar tactics that have proven successful in its U.S. segment: - India: Faster delivery times (less than 15 minutes) through Flipkart’s quick commerce
- China: Improved last-mile delivery and fulfillment centers
- Mexico: Strong digital connectivity and a 65-million-member-strong loyalty program
These strategies will continue to boost international growth, which helps soften hits from tariff costs and improve Walmart’s total revenue. Walmart Is Now Also… an Ad Giant? Similar to its e-commerce segment, Walmart’s retail media business, Walmart Connect, continues to chip away at Amazon’s dominating lead. Walmart is still in the low single digits when it comes to ad spending. But Walmart is now projected to take over 30% of all non-Amazon retail search ad dollars in the U.S. this year, more than any other company. 
Source: Statista Last year, Walmart acquired Vizio, which would allow it to harness its smart TV platform to grow its advertising and consumer data capabilities. Walmart executives have said the integration is still in the early stages – the impacts are not yet reflected in earnings. Yet its advertising arm is thriving just fine without it, recording 31% year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025. Sure, Walmart might be a little brother to Amazon in the e-commerce space today. But it maintains several edges over its competitors. Where Walmart Has Even Amazon Beat In grocery, Walmart holds a dominant first-place lead over every other retailer in the world. Sixty percent of Walmart’s U.S. sales come from its grocery business. And in this online category, it handily beats Amazon, claiming a 31.6% share of online sales in the U.S. compared to Amazon’s 22.6%. 
Source: Statista Its physical footprint is unmatched, with 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of one of its retail locations. This is key to Walmart’s success, allowing it to combine fast local fulfillment with national e-commerce. The company is also expanding its value proposition with gas stations, opening 45 more locations this year to bring the total above 450. These one-stop fuel stations tie into the Walmart+ loop, adding value through discounts and convenience, as well as provide a cushion for increasing tariff costs. And its Walmart+ membership program is building an army of loyal, repeat customers, offering free delivery from stores, free shipping, and fuel discounts for $98 a year. On a global scale, Walmart+ membership fee income is rising, up 14.8% in the first quarter alone. The Bottom Line Walmart has become a full-scale, omnichannel commerce platform. What was once an in-store-first business is now a leader in grocery, e-commerce, delivery, and retail media, with a growing international digital presence. Walmart’s ability to profitably scale e-commerce, grow Walmart+, and expand its advertising and data business while maintaining pricing power puts it in a strong position to gain market share during economic uncertainty. And that’s exactly what my colleague Jeff Clark sees on the horizon right now. I met Jeff a few months back – when TradeSmith Daily’s Michael Salvatore sat us down for an interview. I got to see a sneak preview of his stock-screening strategy for myself. And on Wednesday, June 11, he’ll unveil it for all you loyal readers out there for the first time. According to Jeff’s data, there’s a new wave of trouble brewing for the markets in the weeks and months ahead… giving investors like yourselves a window of opportunity. Jeff will bring you in on his latest prediction on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern and show you how YOU can profit. All you have to do is sign up here. Based on what I’ve seen, you won’t want to miss this. Until next time, 
Andy Swan
Founder, LikeFolio | 
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