Walmart Launches 2-Hour Express Delivery Service at Nearly 2,000 Stores

Walmart now offers Express Delivery, a new service that delivers more items from the store to customers in less than two hours.

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Walmart has accelerated the development of the service in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, piloting Express Delivery in 100 stores since mid-April.

The service will expand to nearly 1,000 stores in early May and will be available in almost 2,000 total stores in the following weeks.

Express Delivery allows customers to order across more than 160,000 items from Walmart’s food, consumables and general merchandise assortment such as groceries, everyday essentials, toys and electronics.

“We know our customers’ lives have changed during this pandemic and so has the way they shop. We also know when we come out of this, customers will be busier than ever, and sometimes that will call for needing supplies in a hurry. COVID-19 has prompted us to launch Express Delivery even faster so that we’re here for our customers today and in the future.”

 

Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer, Walmart

Walmart Express Delivery is Premium Option

Walmart’s Express Delivery joins the retailer’s popular pickup and delivery offerings, all three of which are no-contact services for the customer. It relies on the retailer’s team of 74,000 personal shoppers who will pick customers’ orders.

This includes additional personal shoppers hired specifically for Express Delivery. Walmart will utilize its existing lineup of delivery providers to take orders from a store to customers’ doors. The service will cost $10 on top of the existing delivery charge.

Walmart’s Delivery Unlimited customers’ will simply pay a $10 fee per Express Delivery. Like Walmart’s pickup and delivery services, there is no markup on items – an item is priced the same as it is on the shelf.

Express Delivery also builds on the existing inventory of pickup and delivery slots available to customers, creating more opportunities for customers to shop Walmart when and how they want.

“We have an opportunity to serve our customers no matter what life calls for. Whether it be a last-minute ingredient, medicine when a fever hits, or the item you didn’t know you needed when checking off your chore list, time matters. Express is a solve for that.”

 

Tom Ward, senior vice president, Customer Product

To get started, customers go to walmart.com/grocery or the Walmart app and search their zip code to see if Express Delivery is offered in their area.

• User-Friendly Shopping: When customers are creating their order, the search feature at the top of the screen makes it easy to directly search for the exact item they need to add to their cart.
• At Checkout, select Express: Customers proceed to check out, selecting Express Delivery. They will then pay for their order and sit back and wait for their delivery to arrive!
• Delivery: A delivery driver picks the order up at the store. They deliver to the customer within two hours. No money is exchanged at the door.

Walmart Express Delivery Part of Future Walmart+ Program?

While Walmart Express Delivery is a premium service that builds on the existing Walmart Delivery Unlimited program, it’s possible this or both delivery services could later become part of the rumored Walmart+ subscription program.

There have been no further comments or rumors on Walmart+, and its status as a possible Amazon Prime competitor is unknown.

With the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency taking over in March, the originally rumored roll out time-frame for Walmart+, it’s likely this program is currently on hold until the public health emergency subsides.

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