Walmart to expand Online Grocery Delivery to more than 100 metro areas

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart said it plans to expand its Online Grocery Delivery option to more than 40 percent of U.S. households by the end of the year. The service, available today in six markets, will grow to serve more than 100 metro areas across the country, the company stated.

“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,” said Greg Foran, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., in a press release. “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.”

Walmart’s grocery delivery service “brings customers the convenience of shopping when and where they want” for fresh produce, meat, seafood and bakery items, along with pantry staples, consumables and seasonal general merchandise, the company noted. Customers place their orders online at Walmart.com/grocery or on the existing Walmart Grocery App.

Groceries can be delivered to customers as soon as the same day. Although the grocery items are priced the same as in the brick-and-mortar stores, according to Walmart, using Online Grocery Delivery requires a $9.95 fee and a $30 minimum order. Customers can get their first order delivered for free with the promo code FRESHCAR.

Walmart currently employs more than 18,000 personal shoppers for the grocery delivery program, with thousands more being added this year, the company stated. These associates must complete a three-week training program to learn how to select the freshest produce and the best cuts of meat for customers.

“Our commitment goes further than saving customers money,” said Tom Ward, vice president of digital operations for Walmart U.S. “Ninety percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, and we serve more than 150 million customers a week, which gives us a unique opportunity to make every day a little easier for busy families.”

Walmart also offers an Online Grocery Pickup service that allows customers to order their groceries online and pickup them up in stores without getting out of their cars. The service is now available in 1,200 stores, with 1,000 more to be added this year.