Still, analysts agree that Wal-Mart has many powerful weapons and should hardly be dismissed at this early stage. The company has a tremendous purchasing relationship with suppliers and an unrivaled knowledge of distribution, warehousing, and inventory control. Those advantages put Wal-Mart in a unique position as it sits on the cusp of a full-scale Internet assault. "We are starting to see this become increasingly important online," Williams said. "As Amazon starts to build up distribution centers, it begins to look like a traditional company." Underscoring that point, Amazon last year lured Jimmy Wright, a Wal-Mart executive with more than 26 years of experience in logistics management, to oversee the company's distribution centers, product purchasing, and shipping. Wal-Mart eventually sued Amazon as a steady stream of executives and managers jumped to the online retailer. The suit was settled this year.