Walmart takes Subway restaurant delivery offer beyond store estate following summer launch
In June we reported that Walmart, in a move that saw it locking horns with DoorDash and Uber Eats, was enabling customers in select locations to order Subway directly through the US retail giant’s app or Walmart.com and have their meal delivered in as little as 30 minutes or less, either on its own or alongside their Walmart Express Delivery order.
This marked Walmart’s first restaurant integration within Express Delivery as it looks to bring groceries, household essentials, fashion, prescriptions and restaurant meals together in one experience. And it has now gone a step further.
"When we launched restaurant delivery with Subway earlier this summer, we had a simple idea: make it easier for customers to get a meal alongside the groceries and everyday items they turn to Walmart for," says Greg Cathey, SVP, Digital Fulfilment Transformation.
"After four months of successful deliveries, we are taking the next step by expanding restaurant delivery beyond Subway restaurants located inside Walmart stores. That means customers can increasingly turn to Walmart for meals from locations both inside and outside our stores, while still having the option to combine that meal with their Walmart order."
"Since launch, nearly 65% of restaurant orders were delivered along with items from Walmart the customer needed quickly. That could be sandwiches for dinner with groceries for tomorrow morning, or lunch alongside a few household essentials. We’ve created a new kind of shopping occasion for customers that brings together a meal and the things they need from Walmart in one delivery."
He adds: "We are learning a lot about how customers are using the new service, including the fact that restaurant delivery is introducing more customers to Express Delivery. One of the things I find most interesting is what happens after that first restaurant order. One in five orders that has both Subway and Walmart items is a customer’s first time using Express Delivery this year, and nearly 30% of those customers come back within 30 days."
"That is a strong indicator that once customers experience the convenience of Express Delivery, they find more reasons to use it for other moments in their lives. There is a lot more ahead, but these first few months are a great example of what happens when we bring together the things customers already count on Walmart for: convenience, value, selection and increasingly, speed."
"Thank you to the Walmart and Subway teams who have helped bring this experience to life. Twenty years into our relationship, it is exciting to keep finding new ways to serve customers together."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
On demand delivery will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
