Wal-Mart resets strategy with new partnership

The new alliance between Wal-Mart Stores Inc and JD.com Inc is expected to give Wal-Mart wider customer access and offer a fresh start to its struggling retail business in China.

Wal-Mart said the alliance expands its opportunity in e-commerce and provides its stores and Sam's Clubs with potential traffic from JD's huge customer base and also will allow it to use JD's same-day delivery network. Wal-Mart will receive about 5 percent stake in JD and the companies will partner in several strategic areas.

Sam's Club China will open a flagship store on JD platform, vastly expanding the availability of Sam's Club's imported products across China. It will offer same- and next-day delivery through JD's nationwide warehousing and delivery network, which covers a population of 600 million consumers.