Third time’s a charm? That’s what Walmart is hoping as it tries another delivery service in New York City, though its latest one is not citywide.
Walmart’s groceries became available to parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx on Tuesday night, with Instacart providing the deliveries, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Instacart gig shoppers will be tasked with picking up the Walmart groceries and driving them to homes in the three boroughs. Almost 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart, but the retail giant doesn’t have any stores in New York City, largely because of union and political opposition.
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Walmart and Instacart are competitors at times, but they have partnered on deliveries in the past. Last year, the companies worked to deliver groceries in some California cities and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Walmart also works with other delivery services, such as Roadie and DoorDash. Instacart has plans to build its own fulfilment centers near supermarkets to increase efficiency.
On its website, Walmart does offer shipping across the nation. The company has made two previous attempts at same-day delivery in New York City, however, with unspectacular results.
Through Jet.com, Walmart offered same-day grocery delivery, but the service was discontinued in 2019. JetBlack was an attempt at fast deliveries in Manhattan, this time targeted at high-end shoppers, but it was terminated last year.
Walmart continues to circle New York, looking to gain ground in one of its few lagging markets. A supercenter in Yaphank, Walmart’s third on Long Island, is set to open in November.
[WSJ] — Holden Walter-Warner