Walmart has announced that Walmart+ members in 33 US markets will be able to get 30-minute delivery of some 10,000 SKUs – “groceries, pharmacy items and everyday essentials” – for a $10 fee.
According to the announcement, “The availability of 30-minute-or-less delivery builds on Walmart’s long-term convenience strategy and broader Express Delivery offering as customer demand continues to grow for more immediate and frictionless shopping experiences.
“Powered by Walmart’s store footprint, proximity to customers and an advanced algorithm based on basket size, driver availability and distance from the store, Walmart has significant opportunity to continue expanding delivery capabilities to more communities over time. In the first quarter of this year alone, Walmart completed millions of deliveries in 30 minutes or less to more than 19,000 zip codes across the country.”
Among the markets impacted by the move are Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, Tampa, and Oklahoma City.
“Customers are looking for faster, easier ways to get what they need in the moments that matter. We’ve been delivering orders in 30 minutes or less for more than a year, and today 26% of our Express Deliveries are already arriving in that timeframe,” said Tracy Poulliot, Chief eCommerce Officer, Walmart U.S., in a prepared statement. “As customers continue to look for more immediate shopping options, we’re making this service more prominent where it’s available — helping them get the items they need, right when they need them.”
It was less than a month ago that Amazon announced its 30-minute program, Amazon Now, which it said “delivers thousands of items—from fresh groceries to everyday household essentials—in 30 minutes or less.”
Amazon said that the service “is widely available in Atlanta, Dallas–Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle with rapid expansion underway in dozens more U.S. cities. Prime members pay a discounted delivery fee of $3.99 per order.”
This announcement came as Amazon’s Same-Day perishable grocery delivery expanded to 2,300+ cities and towns.
“Amazon Now is for when you need or want the convenience of getting your Amazon order delivered in 30 minutes or less,” said Udit Madan, senior vice president, Amazon Worldwide Operations, in his prepared statement. “With thousands of items available for ultra-fast delivery, you can get everything from groceries for dinner, to AirPods before a flight, to household essentials like laundry detergent or toothpaste delivered right to your door.”
KC’s View:
Here’s the thing about a 30-minute delivery window. The only reason these folks are limiting it to 30 minutes is because traffic lights and speed limits exist. If they could promise 15 minutes, or five minutes, they would.
On the other hand…
Walmart also just announced what it called a major delivery milestone: “more than one million drone deliveries completed to hundreds of thousands of customers.”
According to the announcement, “The one millionth delivery comes as Walmart continues to rapidly expand drone capabilities across 66 stores in four states serving five metro markets. Since launch we’ve seen customers evolve from trying it to experience the novelty of the service for items like bananas or snack food, to now turning to it frequently to get items delivered really fast, when they need them most … With thousands of stores located close to the communities we serve, Walmart is uniquely positioned to explore new ways to connect customers with the products they want, when they want them. Working with drone delivery providers including Wing and Zipline, Walmart continues to expand delivery options that fit seamlessly into customers’ lives.”
Amazon, despite having had what appeared to be a head start in the drone race, is going to feel a lot of pressure to catch up.
Either than, or figure out Star Trek’s transporter technology so that products can be beamed directly into people’s homes.
The clash of the titans continues…
The post The Thirty Minute Mandate: Walmart Challenges Amazon appeared first on MNB.
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