Walmart to tear down walls between store, online buying operations: sources

Chicago

WALMART Stores Inc for the first time will combine its own buying for products sold at its stores with purchases that it makes for its website, sources said, in a significant move to stamp out duplicate efforts as it consolidates buying operations to better fight Amazon.com Inc.

Vendors contacted by Walmart about the change told Reuters that the store and online buying teams of the world's largest retailer currently operate independently.