Walmart now is offering free NextDay delivery to customers without a membership fee.
“We’re adding free NextDay delivery on a wide range of general merchandise from Walmart.com, without a membership fee,” said Walmart E-Commerce U.S. President and CEO Mark Lore. “NextDay delivery will be available first to Walmart.com customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas and will expand to Southern California in the coming days.”
Free NextDay delivery will roll out gradually over the coming months, with a plan to reach approximately 75 percent of the United States population this year, which includes 40 of the top 50 major U.S. metro areas.
“We started with same-day pickup in our stores in 2011 and began offering two-day free shipping two years ago with no membership fee. But, the most exciting development has been the creation of Grocery Pickup and Delivery. We’re on track to offer Grocery Pickup from 3,100 stores and same-day Grocery Delivery from 1,600 stores by year-end, which will provide coverage to approximately 80% and 50% of the U.S. population, respectively. This has been a game-changer for busy families,” Lore continued.
Walmart’s NextDay delivery offers a stand-alone, curated shopping experience where customers can browse up to 220,000 of the items most frequently purchased. It is available on eligible orders of $35 or more, with the specific assortment varying by customer location.
“Contrary to what you might think, it will cost us less, not more, to deliver orders the next day,” Lore said. “That’s because eligible items come from a single fulfillment center 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 says it can offer fast, convenient shipping options because of its network of fulfillment assets strategically located across the U.S.
How NextDay delivery works
A customer visits Walmart.com and toggles into the NextDay delivery experience to view items that are eligible for free NextDay delivery. After adding items to their cart, the customer proceeds to checkout. Everything in the cart must be eligible for NextDay delivery to qualify. Cut-off times vary by location.
