Walmart has announced that it will be rolling out a pilot scheme to test delivery of its products through Uber, Lyft and Deliv.
The US retailer’s CEO Doug McMillon announced the trial at the 46th Annual Shareholders Meeting, when he also urged the company’s associates to think big and “reimagine retail again”.
The pilot will start with trials of Uber deliveries in Phoenix and Lyft deliveries in Denver in the next two weeks. A low-profile Sam’s Club pilot did run in March with Deliv for business members in Miami.
Uber and Lyft drivers will be used by Walmart to deliver grocery orders placed online by consumers. The consumer can select a delivery slot after placing their order online and a driver will be requested by a Walmart employee to pick up the order and deliver it to the customer’s choice of location.
Charges will remain the same for consumers ($7-$10) and no fees will be paid by the consumer to the driver. In a post on Walmart Today, Michael Bender, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Walmart eCommerce, wrote: “We’re thrilled about the possibility of delivering new convenient options to our customers, and about working with some transformative companies in this test. We’ll start small and let our customers guide us, but testing new things like last-mile delivery allows us to better evaluate the various ways we can best serve our customers how, when and where they need us.”
The decision to start collaborating with online transportation network providers comes at a time when Walmart is ramping up its digital presence and initiatives. At the Shareholder’s Meeting, McMillon explained: “This is our ambition globally: we want to be the first place busy families go to save money and time, especially on their everyday needs. We’re connecting all the parts of Walmart into one seamless shopping experience with great stores, easy pickup, fast delivery, and apps and websites that are simple to use.”