Walmart have announced the introduction of Walmart free next day delivery without membership in the US. This obviously alludes to Amazon one-day delivery which requires customers to pay £79 Prime membership fee, for the whole year, to be eligible for the accelerated delivery promise.
Two weeks ago saw Walmart alluding to the introduction of one-day free shipping after Amazon promised to cut their delivery speed in half for US customers. The action would see Walmart directly competing with Amazon’s last mile service in the US.
Walmart free next day delivery to reach 75% of the US population
The move will see Walmart.com’s delivery promise halving from a two-day to one-day shipment. Walmart free next day delivery will be available first to Walmart.com customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas. It will expand to Southern California in the coming days. It will roll out gradually over the coming months, with a plan to reach approximately 75% of the US population this year, which includes 40 of the top 50 major US metro areas.
Walmart say that their next day delivery offers a stand-alone – curated shopping experience where customers can browse up to 220,000 of the items most frequently purchased – ranging from diapers and laundry detergent to toys and electronics, with more assortment to be added. It is available on eligible orders of $35 or more, with the specific assortment varying by customer location.
How does Walmart free next day delivery works?
- A customer visits Walmart.com and toggles into the next day delivery experience to view items that are eligible for free one-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.
‘Next day delivery will cost us less’
Walmart say that the updated delivery service will cost the marketplace less. That’s because eligible items come from a single fulfilment centre located closest to the customer. This means the order ships in one box or as few as possible, and it travels a shorter distance via inexpensive ground shipping. That’s in contrast to online orders that come in multiple boxes from multiple locations, which can be quite costly.
Walmart have strategically build a network of fulfilment assets across the US to make a one-day delivery offering a reality. Walmart say that they will continue to allocate fulfilment centres based on where customers are located and what they’re ordering.
‘Even faster delivery options to come’
The new delivery offering is aiming to complement Walmart’s same-day grocery pickup and free two-day shipping on millions of items. Walmart say that their position in the US, with 99% of US consumers living within 10 miles of a Walmart store will help them offer even faster delivery to customers in the future.
