Walmart ramps up online grocery delivery

Walmart is expanding its online grocery delivery service from six US metro areas to more than 100 by the end of the year, making it available to over 40% of US households.

The offering carries a $9.95 fee and a $30 minimum order. “We’re saving customers time by leveraging new technology, and connecting all the parts of our business into a single seamless shopping experience: great stores, easy pickup, fast delivery, and apps and websites that are simple to use,” says Greg Foran, President and CEO, Walmart US. “We’re serving our customers in ways that no one else can. Using our size and scale, we’re bringing the best of Walmart to customers across the country.”

The retailer also offers a service that allows customers to order their groceries online and pick them up in stores without getting out of their cars. This is now available in 1,200 stores with 1,000 more to be added this year. Walmart’s efforts in this area come amid intensifying competition for market supremacy, including Amazon’s roll-out of Prime Now delivery, Target’s $550 million acquisition of Shipt and Instacart signing up a number of high profile partners.