Wal-Mart was not the only Wab retailer to have trouble in 1999. Many companies found that they were ill-prepared for the large number of customers who decided to try electronic commerce in that year's holiday season. Lost orders, unfilled or many Web retailers that year . Wal-Mart was noted as an industry leader in shipping and logistics management ; however, the announcement on its Web site that it could not promise Christmas delivery for items ordered after December 14 was particularly embarrassing.