Walmart Speeds Shipping With AI, Local Stores — Chain Store Age

 

Walmart is testing faster delivery for its third-party marketplace by fulfilling some digital orders directly from select Dallas-area stores, aiming to cut delivery times from days to just a few hours.

Key Takeaways

  • Walmart is piloting shipping marketplace orders out of store back rooms, rather than only from warehouses or seller facilities, to reach customers in as little as 3 hours.

  • The effort sits alongside Walmart’s broader automation push in regional distribution centers and its use of AI to decide which stores should ship which items to maximize speed and efficiency.

  • By tightening delivery windows for marketplace sellers, Walmart is working to stay competitive with Amazon’s ultra-fast fulfillment options while leveraging its large U.S. store footprint.