Walmart's Winning Ways Will Last After Lockdowns
The big-box chain is unlikely to have another monster quarter like the latest one, but benefits from shoppers’ changing behavior will linger.
A surge in online shopping will have positive effects for Walmart.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergWalmart Inc., one of the few big winners during the coronavirus crisis, just had a blowout quarter. The knock-on positive effects may last beyond the pandemic.
Bulk buying of toilet paper, bleach and hand sanitizer helped the world’s biggest retailer increase U.S. same-store sales (excluding fuel) by a better-than-expected 10% in the three months ended May 1. That marked the best performance in almost two decades. Going forward, sales may not jump to the extent they did during the recent nationwide lockdowns, but Walmart should still benefit from some permanent changes to shopping behavior.