Walmart's latest quarterly earnings report just revealed how the biggest retailer in the world is being even more aggressive in order to take on Amazon.

In the midst of a trade war between the U.S. and China, and in the wake of two deadly shootings at Walmart stores, everyone is tuned in to what Walmart has to say about tariffs and firearms. And while those are two important issues, there's also something to be said about how Walmart is accelerating online.

Walmart's e-commerce sales during the fiscal second quarter were up 37%, in line with what it delivered in the prior period. Walmart is still calling for online sales to be up 35% for the year, slightly less than what it logged in 2018.

This follows a report in late July that Walmart's online team was facing pressures internally as cash was being thrown at money-losing efforts, like acquiring digitally native brands that still aren't profitable. According to estimates from Morgan Stanley, Walmart's online business in the U.S. could lose about $1.7 billion this year, up from $1.4 billion in 2018.

Still, to keep pace with Amazon, Walmart sees some of these losses as a necessary evil.

The retailer on Thursday hinted at some investments it's making to remain competitive online. It said it already achieved its goal of reaching 75% of the U.S. population with a next-day delivery option, something it was previously hoping to do before the year was over. It only just announced the initiative in May. On Thursday, CEO Doug McMillon said in prepared remarks that Walmart is now "working to expand it even further," including by expanding the number of items available for next-day shipping.

"Customers are responding well, and we're improving our economics by having inventory close to the customer which helps us reduce split shipments and the use of air freight," McMillon explained.

Furthermore, Walmart hinted it's looking to grow its third-party marketplace, something it hasn't been as vocal about in the past. It has been more vocal about curating its own brands and creating marketplaces on its website with partners such as Lord & Taylor for high-end dresses and Fanatics for fan gear. Walmart's marketplace for third parties still pales in comparison with that of Amazon.

"We've quickly grown this piece of the business in recent years, and I know we can do even more as we look ahead," McMillon said.

Walmart also this summer said it would begin merging workers at Jet.com, the e-commerce platform it acquired in 2016, with its own.

"The organizational changes we made in the U.S. during the quarter in areas like supply chain and finance are a critical step in our journey," McMillon said on Thursday. "We've maintained some separation in merchandising for stores and e-commerce to keep the focus on our goals and enable speed."