BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced it's starting a brand new two-hour or less delivery service as customers stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.
The service was tested by 100 stores since mid-April. It's expected to expand to nearly 1,000 stores in early May, and Walmart said more stores will follow suit "in the following weeks."
The retailer said the express service will cost $10 on top of its existing delivery charge. Customers that already pay for Walmart’s Delivery Unlimited, which costs $12.95 a month or $98 annually, will still pay a $10 fee per Express Delivery.
“We have an opportunity to serve our customers no matter what life calls for,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, Customer Product. “Whether it be a last-minute ingredient, medicine when a fever hits, or the item you didn’t know you needed when checking off your chore list, time matters. Express is a solve for that.”
All customers need to do is enter their ZIP code on the company's website or app to see if the Express Delivery is offered in their area. As customers check out, they can select the express option, which is only available on orders of $30 or more.
Walmart said it has 74,000 personal shoppers who will pick customers’ orders, including "additional personal shoppers hired specifically for Express Delivery."
In March, Walmart claimed it is planned on hiring an additional 200,000 associates on top of its 2.2 million workforce worldwide. On top of that, the chain said it would out $180 million in bonuses.
The delivery service rivals Amazon Prime Now and its Whole Foods Market delivery options available to Prime members in certain cities. And Target offers same day delivery on some online orders through a partnership with Shipt.
