As shoppers continue to clamor for convenience, grocery delivery is here to stay. The vast majority of retailers now have grocery delivery and pick-up options available to their shoppers, but Walmart is making moves to pull away from the pack with its recent Delivery Unlimited program. The new service offers customers the option for unlimited delivery after paying a once-yearly fee of $98 or a monthly fee of $12.95.
“Grocery Delivery takes convenience to a new level, and our customers love it. With Delivery Unlimited, we’re providing incredible value for our customers and leveraging our unique assets to save them both time and money,” said Janey Whiteside, Chief Customer Officer.
Walmart tested this service earlier this year in Houston, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Miami and Tampa, Florida, which we reported on in our sister publication, and saw an enormously positive response. According to a press release, the retailer now has plans to expand the program to all 200 metro areas currently offering Walmart’s Grocery Delivery, reaching 1,400 stores later this fall. By the end of the year, Walmart expects its new service to be available in more than 1,600 stores covering more than 50 percent of the U.S.
“We’ve been investing in our online grocery business by
quickly expanding our Grocery Pickup and Delivery services. Delivery Unlimited is the next step in that journey,” said Tom Ward, Senior Vice President, Digital Operations, Walmart U.S. “By pairing our size and scale and these services, we’re making Walmart the easiest place for [customers] to shop. Combine that with the value we can provide, our customers can’t lose.”
The delivery service employs 45,000 personal shoppers to handpick the products and has various delivery services. The membership comes with a free 15-day trial, and customers will continue to have the option to pay a per-delivery fee without a membership. Grocery Pickup is still available in nearly 3,000 stores where customers can have curb-side pickup.
How long will it be before other retailers follow suit with their own unlimited delivery programs? Deli Market News will report.
