Walmart eyes e-retailer bid

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Faced with stiff competition from Amazon, Walmart is reported to be considering the acquisition of e-retail startup Jet.com as a boost for its struggling online channel. The year-old company could be valued at as much as $3 billion, according to sources interviewed by the Wall Street Journal. “Wal-Mart’s e-commerce growth has been slow — they have had a year-over-year decline when the overall market is still growing,” Michelle Malison, a retail analyst with Euromonitor International, told the Los Angeles Times. The mammoth retailer, which tops the U.S. market share among brick-and-mortar stores, is only fourth in e-retail.