Wal-Mart India Woos Mom-and-Pop Stores to Tap $50 Billion

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has opened an e-commerce website to supply goods to mom-and-pop merchants in India as the world’s largest retailer seeks to dominate a market it estimates will be valued at $50 billion by 2020.

Wal-Mart is counting on its online operations to help fuel sales as it grapples with a slowdown both at home and abroad. The Indian website is only for existing users of its members-only cash-and-carry stores and may help draw orders from small businesses more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) from outlets and that aren’t serviced by sales representatives, said the company’s chief executive for India Krish Iyer.