Walmart announces big delivery change holiday shoppers will notice
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Over the past few months, Walmart has seen a spike in consumer demand, despite recent economic challenges.In its third-quarter earnings report for 2025, Walmart revealed that its net sales increased by 5.1% year over year during the quarter, primarily due to sales growth in grocery, health and wellness, and general merchandise categories.Also, according to recent data from Placer.ai, foot traffic in Walmart store locations increased by 0.4% year over year. “We drove positive transaction counts and unit volumes, and we’re gaining market share in grocery and general merchandise, including here in the U.S., where we saw strength across income cohorts and especially with higher-income households,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon during an earnings call on Nov. 20.The heightened consumer momentum comes after Walmart introduced 7,400 price rollback discounts in its stores earlier this year to attract price-conscious consumers who are battling higher costs of living. Walmart is doubling down on luring holiday shoppers.Shutterstock Walmart expands convenient service for holiday shoppersWalmart is betting big on a bustling holiday season to drive even more demand, as more consumers nationwide seek sales and convenience. How U.S. consumers plan to shop during the 2025 holiday season: Consumers plan to spend $890.49 per person on average this year on holiday gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items.Approximately 85% of consumers expect to pay higher prices due to tariffs. Also, 55% plan to make holiday purchases digitally, while 46% will make their holiday purchases at grocery stores.Additionally, 60% plan to finish their holiday shopping in December. Source: National Retail Federation “Despite consumers’ economic concerns, the winter holidays remain an important occasion to celebrate with loved ones,” said Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist in a press release. “This is particularly true for those families with children who are expected to increase their gift budgets by more than $30 on average.”To help attract holiday shoppers, Walmart is expanding its delivery options. The retail giant is now offering one-hour express delivery to shoppers who place online orders before 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, according to a new press release.Customers also have until 12 p.m. on Christmas Eve to place orders for same-day pickup and delivery. For standard shipping, customers have until 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 23 to submit orders for arrival by Christmas Day.Related: Walmart quietly introduces new delivery option for customersIn addition to extended delivery options, it has officially introduced a new “Get it Now” option in the Walmart app, which was previously only available to Walmart+ customers in large cities. This feature enables customers to place orders with a single tap and provides them with an estimated delivery time.Walmart is also now offering new customers $10 off their first three orders of pickup or delivery when they use promo code “HOLIDAY10” in the app. “Walmart’s delivery capabilities are getting faster nationwide, now reaching 95% of U.S. households in under three hours, and with later deadlines and easier ordering, customers can get what they need exactly when they need it this holiday season,” said Walmart in the press release. Walmart's latest move leans into a growing consumer trendThe move from Walmart comes during a time when it is rapidly expanding its delivery services, as its rival Amazon does the same.For example, in June, Walmart expanded its drone delivery service to five U.S. cities: Atlanta, Houston, Tampa, Charlotte and Orlando, vowing to deliver orders to customers faster.More Retail:Marshalls makes bold change to return policy ahead of holidaysWalmart quietly shrinks generous offer for holiday shoppersBJ’s Wholesale announces free offer for customers amid strugglesLater 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.Shortly after Walmart made its latest announcement on expanding its delivery options for holiday shoppers, Amazon announced that it has extended same-day delivery for perishable grocery items to over 2,300 cities.Walmart’s move to make holiday delivery more convenient for consumers also comes as more consumers nationwide are relying on speedy delivery for the holidays, according to a recent survey from e-commerce fulfillment company Radial. U.S. consumer delivery expectations for the 2025 holiday season:The percentage of U.S. consumers expecting delivery of online orders in two to three days increased from 19% in 2023 to 30% in 2025.Additionally, tolerance for waiting up to a week for orders to be delivered dropped to 23%, and only 3% of consumers are willing to wait longer than that.Approximately 66% of consumers said they would give up a 5% discount to guarantee their delivery window.Nearly half of consumers have abandoned purchases due to a complicated checkout process. Source: Radial “This holiday peak season, consumers aren’t just buying products, they’re buying confidence,” said Radial CEO Tom Schmitt in a press release. “Brands and retailers who stand out this season will be the ones who can scale quickly, fulfill and deliver with reliability, and eliminate friction at every step of the click to delivery experience. Meeting demands around speed, transparency, and responsiveness isn’t a nice-to-have anymore; it’s the foundation for long-term loyalty.”Related: Kroger CEO has a harsh solution to rising prices in stores