6 ms·

Compared to walmart.com, though, there's no reason to keep it. As a consumer, I don't really know/trust jet.com.

by benburleson 6y ago

jtdev 6y ago
I do know Walmart, and I don’t trust or like the brand.
- dahfizz 6y ago
  Well, hundreds of millions Americans do. It's one of the strongest brands in the world.
  - speedgoose 6y ago
    *In USA.
    - TallGuyShort 6y ago
      Forbes ranks it as the #26 most valuable brand in the world: https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/ https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/. Just because it's an almost entirely American brand doesn't change anything GP said.
      - ativzzz 6y ago
        Interesting it's so low, considering they are the highest revenue company in the world (as of 2018) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_r...
      - speedgoose 6y ago
        The brand is absent from most countries.
        buzzerbetrayed 6y ago
        > Just because it's an almost entirely American brand doesn't change anything GP said.
        speedgoose 6y ago
        I simply disagree that's a strong brand worldwide because it's only a USA brand.
        thejynxed 6y ago
        Walmart has stores everywhere but the North & South Poles. There's a reason they employ over 2.3 million people.
        TallGuyShort 6y ago
        No one even said "strong brand worldwide" they said "one of the strongest brands in the world". Does a professional athlete have to compete overseas to be recognized as being exceptionally good at their sport, if they absolutely dominate in their home country, and their home country happens to be very significant in that sport? If you're going to get hung up on details, don't reword them. Would someone who qualifies for the Olympics for the first time from a powerhouse country not qualify as "one of the best in the world"?
        TallGuyShort 6y ago
        So is it NOT one of the most valuable brands in the world then? Despite Forbes' list of valuations? What exactly in the original comment about the strength of the brand do you even think is incorrect?
        speedgoose 6y ago
        The original comment isn't about the value of the brand according to Forbes, but the strength of the brand. I just say that the brand is strong only in USA but not so much outside. Not many people care about or even know the brand in most countries. So it's not a lot of strength worldwide even though it's valuable in Forbes and very strong in USA. Coca-Cola or Apple are much more strong worldwide.
  - alharith 6y ago
    Strongest is an understatement. It is projected to account for 5% of the total US GDP this year.
  - birdyrooster 6y ago
    Yeah it’s like milk tons of people drink it but it’s for babies.
  - ckocagil 6y ago
    Millions (billions?) trust Facebook too. Yet, Facebook kept the Instagram brand and it paid off.
    - dcist 6y ago
      At the time of acquisition, I think the Instagram brand was more popular and recognized among users than Jet.com. Jet.com didn't become a phenomenon before Walmart acquired it. Instagram was already extremely popular when FB bought it.
      - disgruntledphd2 6y ago
        Instagram had like less than 20mn users when FB acquired it. If you peruse the HN comments from the time, many of them were convinced that this was a waste of money (though not the top comment, interestingly enough): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3817840 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3817840
    - unclebucknasty 6y ago
      Different situation. Facebook and Instagram are social brands that signal which demo you'll find on each platform (at least at the time of acquisition). Instagram's branding/demo was a big part of what FB was after.
    - stickfigure 6y ago
      Facebook keeps Instagram (and Whatsapp) as a form of market segmentation. Just like how Proctor & Gamble sells eleven (!) different brands of laundry detergent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Procter_%26_Gamble_brands#Laundry_detergents https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Procter_%26_Gamble_bra... Presumably they capture more of the overall market for detergent that way. Maybe the same mechanisms do not apply to retail in general.
      - disgruntledphd2 6y ago
        Yeah, it was explained to me once by a bid for shelf space. If there are 2 brands, a new one gets 1/3rd of the space, if there are 15, then a new one gets 1/16. Therefore making P&G more money.
Symmetry 6y ago
There are class complications that make using the Walmart brand potentially problematic, though. People with college degrees who would shop at Whole Foods or Costco or boutique retailers look down on Costco but wouldn't have those associations with Jet.com. I'm sure Walmart has researched this but keeping both brands would seem worth it from that angle.
- dehrmann 6y ago
  The first time I saw jet.com, I assumed it was for Jet Magazine. Maybe someone things it has to do with jet planes. I wouldn't want to have to do brand marketing for such an ambiguous name.
- jonas21 6y ago
  It works both ways though. People who would never set foot in a Walmart might order from walmart.com for convenience or price or because they don't really think about it when ordering online. If they have a positive experience online, that could affect their impression of the Walmart brand in general.
- MiroF 6y ago
  > Costco I'm almost certain you meant to say Walmart here.
  - Symmetry 6y ago
    No. People who shop at Costco tend to have the spare cash to buy lots of stuff at once and have lots of space to put it and so draw from a very different demographic than Walmart does, mostly. It's a bit of a Sam Vimes boot theory thing. https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Sam_Vimes_Theory_of_Economic_Injustice https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Sam_Vimes_Theory_of_Econom...
    - meter 6y ago
      You said “Costco” twice. The second time appears to be a typo.
naravara 6y ago
Walmart's brand is pretty toxic in certain corners, so I could see Jet being an "alternative" to dodge the association. Kind of like Tab/Diet Coke. But I think basically anyone using Jet pretty much knew it was WalMart anyway so it didn't matter.
Roboprog 6y ago
Exactly. This is the first time I’ve ever heard the name. Like the post above said, much of the Jet acquisition was likely really just to absorb the IP and expertise, anyway. That said, we recently ordered some patio furniture from Walmart.com after comparison shopping on Amazon and Home Depot. And I suppose next month we’ll find better deals on yet another site. Don’t get too cozy with any of these companies and keep your eyes open for price and quality drift.

Compared to walmart.com, though, there's no reason to keep it. As a consumer, I don't really know/trust jet.com.

jtdev 6y ago

I do know Walmart, and I don’t trust or like the brand.

dahfizz 6y ago
Well, hundreds of millions Americans do. It's one of the strongest brands in the world.
- speedgoose 6y ago
  *In USA.
  - TallGuyShort 6y ago
    Forbes ranks it as the #26 most valuable brand in the world: https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/ https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/. Just because it's an almost entirely American brand doesn't change anything GP said.
    - ativzzz 6y ago
      Interesting it's so low, considering they are the highest revenue company in the world (as of 2018) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_r...
    - speedgoose 6y ago
      The brand is absent from most countries.
      - buzzerbetrayed 6y ago
        > Just because it's an almost entirely American brand doesn't change anything GP said.
        speedgoose 6y ago
        I simply disagree that's a strong brand worldwide because it's only a USA brand.
        thejynxed 6y ago
        Walmart has stores everywhere but the North & South Poles. There's a reason they employ over 2.3 million people.
        TallGuyShort 6y ago
        No one even said "strong brand worldwide" they said "one of the strongest brands in the world". Does a professional athlete have to compete overseas to be recognized as being exceptionally good at their sport, if they absolutely dominate in their home country, and their home country happens to be very significant in that sport? If you're going to get hung up on details, don't reword them. Would someone who qualifies for the Olympics for the first time from a powerhouse country not qualify as "one of the best in the world"?
      - TallGuyShort 6y ago
        So is it NOT one of the most valuable brands in the world then? Despite Forbes' list of valuations? What exactly in the original comment about the strength of the brand do you even think is incorrect?
        speedgoose 6y ago
        The original comment isn't about the value of the brand according to Forbes, but the strength of the brand. I just say that the brand is strong only in USA but not so much outside. Not many people care about or even know the brand in most countries. So it's not a lot of strength worldwide even though it's valuable in Forbes and very strong in USA. Coca-Cola or Apple are much more strong worldwide.
- alharith 6y ago
  Strongest is an understatement. It is projected to account for 5% of the total US GDP this year.
- birdyrooster 6y ago
  Yeah it’s like milk tons of people drink it but it’s for babies.
- ckocagil 6y ago
  Millions (billions?) trust Facebook too. Yet, Facebook kept the Instagram brand and it paid off.
  - dcist 6y ago
    At the time of acquisition, I think the Instagram brand was more popular and recognized among users than Jet.com. Jet.com didn't become a phenomenon before Walmart acquired it. Instagram was already extremely popular when FB bought it.
    - disgruntledphd2 6y ago
      Instagram had like less than 20mn users when FB acquired it. If you peruse the HN comments from the time, many of them were convinced that this was a waste of money (though not the top comment, interestingly enough): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3817840 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3817840
  - unclebucknasty 6y ago
    Different situation. Facebook and Instagram are social brands that signal which demo you'll find on each platform (at least at the time of acquisition). Instagram's branding/demo was a big part of what FB was after.
  - stickfigure 6y ago
    Facebook keeps Instagram (and Whatsapp) as a form of market segmentation. Just like how Proctor & Gamble sells eleven (!) different brands of laundry detergent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Procter_%26_Gamble_brands#Laundry_detergents https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Procter_%26_Gamble_bra... Presumably they capture more of the overall market for detergent that way. Maybe the same mechanisms do not apply to retail in general.
    - disgruntledphd2 6y ago
      Yeah, it was explained to me once by a bid for shelf space. If there are 2 brands, a new one gets 1/3rd of the space, if there are 15, then a new one gets 1/16. Therefore making P&G more money.

Symmetry 6y ago

There are class complications that make using the Walmart brand potentially problematic, though. People with college degrees who would shop at Whole Foods or Costco or boutique retailers look down on Costco but wouldn't have those associations with Jet.com. I'm sure Walmart has researched this but keeping both brands would seem worth it from that angle.

dehrmann 6y ago
The first time I saw jet.com, I assumed it was for Jet Magazine. Maybe someone things it has to do with jet planes. I wouldn't want to have to do brand marketing for such an ambiguous name.
jonas21 6y ago
It works both ways though. People who would never set foot in a Walmart might order from walmart.com for convenience or price or because they don't really think about it when ordering online. If they have a positive experience online, that could affect their impression of the Walmart brand in general.
MiroF 6y ago
> Costco I'm almost certain you meant to say Walmart here.
- Symmetry 6y ago
  No. People who shop at Costco tend to have the spare cash to buy lots of stuff at once and have lots of space to put it and so draw from a very different demographic than Walmart does, mostly. It's a bit of a Sam Vimes boot theory thing. https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Sam_Vimes_Theory_of_Economic_Injustice https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Sam_Vimes_Theory_of_Econom...
  - meter 6y ago
    You said “Costco” twice. The second time appears to be a typo.

naravara 6y ago

Walmart's brand is pretty toxic in certain corners, so I could see Jet being an "alternative" to dodge the association. Kind of like Tab/Diet Coke. But I think basically anyone using Jet pretty much knew it was WalMart anyway so it didn't matter.

Roboprog 6y ago

Exactly. This is the first time I’ve ever heard the name. Like the post above said, much of the Jet acquisition was likely really just to absorb the IP and expertise, anyway. That said, we recently ordered some patio furniture from Walmart.com after comparison shopping on Amazon and Home Depot. And I suppose next month we’ll find better deals on yet another site. Don’t get too cozy with any of these companies and keep your eyes open for price and quality drift.