Walmart opens delivery services for all businesses

US shopping giant Walmart on Tuesday announced it was opening a delivery service for businesses, including other retailers, in its latest push to reposition itself and fend off Amazon’s rise.

The chain announced it will make its logistics and transportation infrastructure, in which it has invested heavily in recent years, available to other stores through a service called Walmart GoLocal.

“We’ve worked hard to develop a reliable last-mile delivery program for our customers. Now, we’re pleased to be able to use these capabilities to serve another set of customers—local merchants,” Tom Ward, a senior vice president for Walmart’s US location, said in a press release.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company said it already has delivery agreements with several companies, but did not elaborate.

Ward said he envisioned the service being used for everything from “delivering goods from a local bakery to auto supplies from a national retailer.”

The service will be white label, meaning a customer placing and order will not realize it is being delivered by Walmart, according to the company.

The new business “is an important part of the company’s overall strategy, which includes diversifying its revenue streams and profit pools.”

Over the past two years, the retail behemoth has opened up its Walmart Marketplace online shopping platform to other companies, and launched Walmart Connect, a service that provides brands with visibility across its network.

The new venture will add to Walmart’s rivalry with Amazon, which already provides delivery for partner retailers.

In April 2020, Walmart began offering faster shipping services including same-day delivery, which is rapidly becoming the norm in the retail world today.

© 2021 AFP