Wal-Mart new Website Design vs Amazon

Like the mention of  'Choice and Control'.   And thinking of retail as therapy?   Not really quite a science here, but reasonable design considerations.

This Is How Walmart Should Design Its New Website (According to Science)   For Walmart to succeed online, it has to do things a little differently.    By Yazin Akkawi  in Inc

In the beginning of May, Walmart will begin rolling out an updated web experience, describing it as a "cleaner and more modern digital shopping experience."

Don't get it twisted, this is a clear attempt to fight off online-shopping rivals such as Amazon. And while Walmart hasn't yet revealed the design of its new site, if it really wants to make a leap forward, it might need to do better than just a cleaner and more modern look and feel.

Otherwise the redesign could end up a giant waste of time. 

Build on the Most Human Element of the Shopping Experience: Choice and Control
Retail therapy--shopping motivated by distress--is a real thing. And for the most part we refer to it, and general consumerism, as a dark and dismal part of society.

But a study led by Scott Rick of the University of Michigan paints a different picture. 

Sadness, more than any other emotion, is associated with helplessness--when we feel like we don't have any control over a situation. According to the research, making shopping choices restores a sense of personal control and thus helps alleviate sadness, the researchers say.

So what does this have to do with Walmart's redesign?

Retail therapy, driven by a desire and need for enhancing your sense of control, is the single most important guiding factor for e-commerce innovation. It should be held front and center in the redesign process of any innovative e-commerce experience, not just Walmart's.

And yet, as Walmart has demonstrated in its announcement, online retailers are still focused on things like personalization and "specialty shopping experiences," whatever that means.

Here's the thing: according to WWD, Amazon owns 74.1 percent of e-commerce market share, and Walmart--number two on the list of top e-commerce retailers after Amazon-- owns 2.8 percent of e-commerce market share.   .... "