Walmart (WMT) , the largest retail chain in the U.S., has rapidly expanded its delivery services to attract customers over the past few years as its top rival Amazon has done the same.
For example, in June, Walmart expanded its drone delivery service to five cities across the country: Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Tampa, and Orlando, vowing to deliver orders to customers faster.
Later that month, Amazon announced its plans to expand same-day and next-day delivery to over 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities nationwide by the end of this year.
Walmart’s subscription service Walmart+ (which offer members delivery perks) and Amazon are gaining popularity among consumers as they bet big on delivery.
A recent survey from PYMNTS Intelligence found that 12.4% of consumers subscribed to both Amazon Prime and Walmart+ as of December 2021; however, that figure almost doubled to 23.9% by February this year.
Despite both membership services seeing increased consumer demand, Amazon Prime still has an edge over Walmart+.
The survey found that 43.3% of consumers use Amazon as their only service among the two, compared to the 3.7% who only use Walmart+.
“In general, Walmart dominates grocery buying across all income groups,” reads the PYMNTS Intelligence report. “Amazon’s strength lies in online discretionary retail, not groceries. Dual subscribers and Prime-only members continue turning to Amazon for nonessential, higher-ticket items, reinforcing the divide.”
Image source: Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Walmart
Walmart adds a convenient new feature to its website
As it competes against Amazon, Walmart has quietly added a new delivery option for customers on its website, which began going live on Oct. 5.
Online shoppers can now find a “Get It Now” button alongside “Add to Cart” options for eligible products available at nearby Walmart stores, according to a recent report from Cord Cutter News.
This “Get It Now” feature allows Walmart+ customers to select speedy delivery options, such as delivery within as little as 46 minutes for a $10 fee or free same-day delivery for orders that meet a minimum threshold.
Estimated arrival times of orders are based on current store staffing levels and traffic conditions.
Related: Walmart loses $400 million from unexpected problem in stores
Walmart’s “Get It Now” feature, first rolling out in large cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, will expand nationwide. The retail giant may later add curbside pickup options and artificial intelligence-based personalization for delivery suggestions to the feature as it monitors usage over the next few months.
The move from Walmart comes after it revealed during an earnings call in August that its customers are responding well to its faster delivery speeds.
“Walmart is getting faster,” said Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner during the call. “Our customers are responding to our delivery speeds. We see billions and billions of units at a high growth rate being delivered same day. And within same day from our store deliveries, about a third of those deliveries are under three hours, and 20% of those units are delivered in less than 30 minutes.”
“So I’m excited about what the team has done to lean into speed,” Furner added. “We’re now covering 93% of the country under three hours. We think that will be 95% by the end of the year.”
The company plans to further explore opportunities to use AI to boost its delivery speeds and accuracy of dynamic delivery windows.
Walmart’s huge bet on delivery may help it fix major shift in customer behavior
Walmart’s increased investment in delivery comes during a time when many consumers are choosing to spend on retailers that offer heightened levels of convenience, whether online or in in stores, according to a recent report from data analytics company GlobalData.
“As consumer expectations of convenience rise and digital disruptions reshape shopping behavior, retailers must innovate or risk losing out,” said Emily Scott, retail analyst at GlobalData, in a statement to TheStreet.
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Walmart’s expanded delivery options can especially help it reverse a concerning consumer trend that is starting to impact sales.
While Walmart revealed in its second-quarter earnings report for 2025 that its U.S. comparable sales increased by 4.6% year-over-year, its CEO, Doug McMillon, said during the earnings call in August that middle- and lower-income consumers are adjusting their discretionary spending amid economic pressures such as tariffs and inflation.
“We see more adjustments in middle-and lower-income households than we do with higher-income households,” said McMillon. “In discretionary categories where item prices have gone up, we see a corresponding moderation in units at the item level as customers switch to other items or, in some cases, categories.”
Related: Target announces big change to self-checkout ahead of holidays
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