Amazon and Walmart Push Retail Innovation Into Everyday Consumer Services | PYMNTS.com

Over the past week alone, a cluster of headline announcements have clarified how far the category-defining rivalry has moved beyond price matching and two-day shipping.

Amazon is scaling same-day prescription delivery, preparing new satellite launches and exploring a marketplace for artificial intelligence (AI) training data. Walmart, meanwhile, is expanding its in-store and digital healthcare services while leaning hard into affordability and the platformization of its business lines as a strategic weapon.

The old story was a simple one: Amazon disrupted retail. Walmart defended it with scale and stores.

Now, both mega-retailers are racing to become infrastructure for everyday living, inlcuding healthcare, logistics, AI and connectivity.

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