Eye on Retail: Walmart takes on Amazon in next-day delivery contest
Walmart is piloting its own next-day delivery service — but with a competitive twist.
The discount titan is expanding its existing same-day grocery pickup and delivery service by launching free next-day delivery for purchases of $35 or more across a range of general merchandise from Walmart.com. Unlike Amazon’s planned rollout of standard next-day shipping for all Prime purchases, however, Walmart’s one-day online delivery option does not require a membership fee.
Next-day delivery will be available first to Walmart.com customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas, and will expand to Southern California in the coming days. Walmart plans to gradually roll out the service over the coming months to reach approximately 75% of the U.S. population this year, including 40 of the top 50 major U.S. metro areas.
[See how world-renowned Maxxis Tyres grew their sales by 28%. Read here.]
Walmart is initially offering next day delivery on 220,000 of the most frequently purchased products online, ranging from diapers and laundry detergent to toys and electronics, with more assortment to be added. Specific assortment of eligible items will vary by customer location.
“When customers shop with us, they expect to find great items at low prices,” Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart E-commerce US, said in a corporate blog post announcing the new service. “They also want shopping to be easy and convenient, including getting the items they order online quickly. Our 4,700 stores, site and app combine to create an incredible range of choices for customers.”
To have an online purchase delivered the next day, a customer visits Walmart.com and toggles into the next day delivery section of the site to view items that are eligible for free next day delivery. After adding items to their cart, the customer proceeds to checkout. Everything in the cart must be eligible for next day delivery to qualify. Cut-off times vary by location.
According to Walmart, it will actually cost less to deliver orders the next day, because eligible items come from a single fulfillment center located closest to the customer. This will enable Walmart to ship items in one box, or as few as possible, for a shorter distance via less expensive ground shipping.
HBSDealer’s Eye on Retail is powered by sales-i, makers of award-winning sales performance software that delivers smarter selling to manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, creating a more complete picture of what’s really going on with your customers. Click here to see how sales-i helped world-renowned Maxxis Tyres grow their sales by 28%. Visit sales-i.com.
The discount titan is expanding its existing same-day grocery pickup and delivery service by launching free next-day delivery for purchases of $35 or more across a range of general merchandise from Walmart.com. Unlike Amazon’s planned rollout of standard next-day shipping for all Prime purchases, however, Walmart’s one-day online delivery option does not require a membership fee.
Next-day delivery will be available first to Walmart.com customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas, and will expand to Southern California in the coming days. Walmart plans to gradually roll out the service over the coming months to reach approximately 75% of the U.S. population this year, including 40 of the top 50 major U.S. metro areas.
[See how world-renowned Maxxis Tyres grew their sales by 28%. Read here.]
Walmart is initially offering next day delivery on 220,000 of the most frequently purchased products online, ranging from diapers and laundry detergent to toys and electronics, with more assortment to be added. Specific assortment of eligible items will vary by customer location.
“When customers shop with us, they expect to find great items at low prices,” Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart E-commerce US, said in a corporate blog post announcing the new service. “They also want shopping to be easy and convenient, including getting the items they order online quickly. Our 4,700 stores, site and app combine to create an incredible range of choices for customers.”
To have an online purchase delivered the next day, a customer visits Walmart.com and toggles into the next day delivery section of the site to view items that are eligible for free next day delivery. After adding items to their cart, the customer proceeds to checkout. Everything in the cart must be eligible for next day delivery to qualify. Cut-off times vary by location.
According to Walmart, it will actually cost less to deliver orders the next day, because eligible items come from a single fulfillment center located closest to the customer. This will enable Walmart to ship items in one box, or as few as possible, for a shorter distance via less expensive ground shipping.
HBSDealer’s Eye on Retail is powered by sales-i, makers of award-winning sales performance software that delivers smarter selling to manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, creating a more complete picture of what’s really going on with your customers. Click here to see how sales-i helped world-renowned Maxxis Tyres grow their sales by 28%. Visit sales-i.com.