Walmart starts Jetblack roll-out

Walmart is continuing to take the fight to Amazon, with a text-based concierge shopping service for busy urban families.

Headed up by Rent the Runway co-founder Jenny Fleiss, Jetblack allows shoppers to order from Walmart.com and also websites of other retailers, with same or next day delivery options available. The service, which involves a monthly membership fee of $50, is the first to launch from Walmart’s technology incubator, Store No 8, where it operated in stealth as Code Eight.

“Through its curated shopping recommendations sent via text and voice-to-text (aka "conversational commerce"), Jetblack can deliver time-strapped urban parents everything from birthday gifts to household essentials,” Walmart says. “The service uses a combination of artificial intelligence practices and expertise from professional buyers across the home, health, parenting, fashion and wellness categories, as well as parents themselves. Some everyday essentials may be sourced from Walmart and Jet.com, while other items and specialty products are procured from local brands and shops.”

Jetblack announced its closed beta earlier this year. The service has now been launched in parts of New York City, with plans to roll it out to the rest of the USA over time. 

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