Big-box retailers have engaged in fierce competition on a number of retail platforms over the last three years, as they have slashed prices to combat inflation, promoted their beauty lines, and are refining their online offerings.
In May 2024, Walmart began reducing prices on about 7,000 items to encourage higher sales in its stores. Walgreens and AmazonFresh followed Walmart’s lead. Each separately said they, too, were lowering prices on thousands of items.
Target joined the party in summer 2024, saying it was lowering prices on 5,000 frequently shopped items. These retailers have continued cutting prices in 2025 as well to keep pressure on the competition.
Related: Walmart makes major checkout and payment change
In June 2024, Target also enhanced its online presence when it partnered with global commerce platform Shopify to offer a selection of its popular merchants and their products on Target Plus, its third-party digital marketplace.
Walmart answered Target’s move with a significant retail play against online competition as it expanded its e-commerce platform to introduce new lines and expand existing ones.
For example, the retailer in August 2024 expanded upon its Walmart Restored platform for refurbished electronics and small appliances, which it launched in July 2022. The retailer launched Resold at Walmart, its first digital destination for cross-category and cross-condition pre-owned items from performance-managed sellers.
Also, Walmart+ members, who benefit from exclusive savings, seamless return policy and free and prompt shipping, learned they would receive even faster service as the company in February 2025 revealed that 93% of U.S. households will have access to same-day shipping from the retailer, and it was accelerating deliveries to arrive in three hours or less.
The beauty battles between retailers have not eased either since Kohl’s and Sephora in 2020 revealed the department store would take over the shop-in-shop concept from JCPenney.
Then, in July 2021, Target and Ulta revealed their shop-in-shop partnership to add Ulta shops in up to 800 Target stores.
Walmart’s e-commerce platform Walmart Marketplace in August 2024 joined the beauty competition by adding its new online platform Premium Beauty, offering over 20 new beauty brands.
Image source: Walmart.
Walmart expands into convenience store sector
And now, Walmart plans to challenge another segment of the retail sector as it opens or remodels 45 fuel and convenience stations across the U.S. this year, the company revealed in a statement, according to NACS.
Related: Best Buy takes on Walmart, Amazon in billion-dollar opportunity
The Bentonville, Ark., retail giant currently operates over 400 Walmart Fuel and Convenience stations in 34 states, and its expansion would increase its chain to about 450 locations.
More Walmart:
- Walmart customers outraged over popular product price increase
- Walmart, Target, Costco make major 2025 announcement
- Walmart exec drops a bombshell about $840 billion market
Walmart opens 400th Fuel and Convenience location
Walmart opened its 400th Fuel and Convenience location in Palm Springs, Calif., in December 2024.
Walmart Fuel and Convenience locations sell fuel, snacks, and beverages, and Walmart+ members save up to 10 cents a gallon on fuel with their membership.
“We’re continuing to invest in our nationwide, physical store footprint. By adding dozens of fuel and convenience stations this year, we are bringing even more value to our customers,” Dave DeSerio, Walmart’s vice president of fuel and convenience, said in the statement. “Customers shop Walmart for our everyday low prices and convenience offerings, and fuel stations are another example of us responding to our customer and member needs.”
The retailer’s ambitious plans will require much more expansion if it hopes to become one of the largest convenience stores in the U.S.
Based on the number of locations, the Top 10 convenience store chains in the U.S. in 2025, according to CSP, are:
- 7-Eleven, about 12,600;
- Alimentation Couche Tard (includes Circle K), 7,107;
- Casey’s, 2,890;
- Murphy’s USA, 1,757;
- BP America, 1,566;
- EG America/Cumberland Farms, 1,464;
- GPM Investments, 1,389;
- ExtraMile, 1,123;
- QuikTrip, 1,117;
- WaWa, 1,100.
Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast
