People who are in a rush or find it hard to go into stores like home delivery.
No one wants to spend time traveling to a store, dealing with crowds, and standing in lines to pay. Home delivery is just so much easier.
Actually, 87% of millennials say convenience is very important when shopping.
This also applies to grocery delivery, leading to tough competition between companies like Amazon's Whole Foods and Instacart.
Plus, the competition for your money will stay intense. Experts say online grocery sales will hit $145.22 billion by 2025.
One of the top companies in this field? Walmart.
In 2023, Walmart's grocery delivery made up 58.8 percent of its US sales.
Smart shoppers like you can learn how to use Walmart delivery, saving time, money, and hassle—without even spending on gas.
Let's get started.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Let's see how you can order from Walmart. It's really simple, so let's go through the steps:
Once you've selected your items, click the "cart" button (it looks like a shopping cart).
In your cart, you'll see your items and a "continue to checkout" button. You'll pay for your items, choose delivery times, and more (details on that below).
After a few orders, you can reorder items from previous shopping trips, create lists, and check registries.
Here's another way to shop:
Check eligibility because Walmart delivery and in-store pickup aren't available everywhere in the U.S.
When ordering from Walmart, you can pick a delivery time that fits your schedule.
Here’s how to do it on the Walmart website:
Online shopping delivery isn’t the only trend that’s grown recently.
Curbside pickup, or "click and collect," has also become more popular.
With this option, you shop online and then pick up your items at the store.
Walmart operates over 4,700 stores across the United States, providing curbside pickup services at more than 3,700 of these locations.
They dominate this market.
For example, in 2021, one out of every four dollars spent on curbside pickup or in-store shopping in the United States went to Walmart.
Walmart stores took 25.4 percent of all US click-and-collect orders.
Wow.
So, chances are you'll need to use Walmart for grocery pickup at some point. It's pretty much unavoidable.
Here's how it works:
You'll get an email, a text notification, or an app notification when your order is ready.
There’s no charge for picking up items you buy. Check your area to see if it’s available at your local store.
How much is Walmart's delivery? It varies. Here are the details:
Now, let’s look at how to get free delivery at Walmart:
How can you get free delivery from Walmart?
You can get it through Walmart's subscription services.
The subscription economy is expected to grow significantly by 2025, reaching $1.5 trillion, surpassing the 2021 projection of $650 billion.
So, naturally, there's a subscription service to help you save money on delivery when you order online from Walmart.
Walmart Plus, also known as Walmart+, is a subscription plan that might be worth it if you use Walmart grocery delivery often.
If you frequently use Walmart grocery delivery, Walmart Plus could be a worthwhile investment.
With Walmart Plus, you receive free next-day, two-day, or standard shipping with no minimum order need. Express delivery is an option for an extra $10.00 fee.
You can give Walmart Plus a try for 30 days at no cost. After that, it's $12.95 per month or $98 per year, plus any applicable taxes.
Delivery Unlimited used to only offer free delivery from Walmart stores. The Walmart+ program extends that to include extra benefits. Customers who previously subscribed to Delivery Unlimited are automatically enrolled in Walmart Plus.
Once you're a member, here's how it works:
Here's what's included and not included in Walmart's free shipping:
Included: Items labeled "shipped by Walmart." This excludes oversized and freight items, as well as products from third-party sellers not shipped by Walmart.
Not Included: Oversized and freight items are not included, and neither are products from third-party sellers not shipped by Walmart. Most Marketplace items are also excluded.
There's a distinction if you opt for items available "in-store."
In this case, you need to spend $35 to qualify for free shipping on in-store items.
When you shop, you can sort items by "in-store" or "shipping" depending on how and when you want to receive your order.
For "in-store" items (like many groceries), there's a $35 order minimum for free delivery. For items in the "shipping" category, Walmart+ members enjoy free delivery with no minimum order. If your total is less than $35, you'll need to pay a $5.99 order minimum fee.
In simpler terms, you get free same-day delivery on groceries and more from your store as long as your order reaches $35.
When you reach the checkout, you can adjust your delivery and shipping preferences.
For in-store purchases, here’s the process:
Here are some key points to keep in mind:
While you can store multiple delivery addresses, sharing the account is limited to family members residing in the same household.
If your family member has their own Walmart account, they'll need to sign up for their own Walmart Plus membership.
You might consider sharing a Walmart account with family members and finding a way to manage payments for purchases.
You can cancel your Walmart Plus membership either through your Walmart+ account page or by reaching out to customer care.
Walmart introduced a new delivery program and expanded it in early 2022.
Named the InHome delivery service, it involves Walmart employees wearing cameras to enter customers' homes and deliver groceries even when they're not there.
As of June 2024, Walmart offers InHome Delivery to over 45 million households. Walmart is growing its service to include customers in Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and San Bernardino, expanding the service to over 50 markets.
Walmart's InHome service costs $19.95 per month with no extra fees.
Additionally, in July 2022, Walmart revealed plans to integrate the "direct-to-fridge" delivery service of InHome as an optional add-on within Walmart+.
In simple terms, the two standalone memberships have been combined. So whether you're a new or existing Walmart customer, you can choose the plan that suits you best.
Walmart offers a special delivery service called Express Delivery, designed for customers who need their items quickly.
With Express Delivery, you can order anything from groceries to electronics and pay a $10 fee on top of the regular delivery charge. Walmart+ members only pay the $10 Express fee.
Express Delivery is available in nearly 3,000 Walmart stores, covering 70 percent of the US.
To check the delivery options in your area, simply visit the website or app and enter your ZIP code.
Now, the question everyone wonders when they receive special services like home delivery: Should you tip Walmart delivery drivers?
Well, that's completely up to you.
So, how much should you tip?
You might consider basing the tip on the size of your order or the weight of the items you've chosen, especially if they're heavy to carry into the house.
You might also feel inclined to tip more if you have a lot of items that need to be put away in the fridge.
A general guideline for tipping is at least 10 percent of your bill, but if you're satisfied with the service, you could tip more—perhaps up to 15 or 20 percent.
Here's what the Walmart website says about tipping:
Tipping is voluntary, and 100 percent of tips go directly to the driver. You can decide to tip before or after placing your order, or even after it's been delivered. You're allowed to adjust your tip amount within 24 hours after delivery. If you choose to tip, you have up to 14 days to do so for your delivery driver. To tip for items delivered from your local store:
Having groceries delivered to your doorstep has become a convenience many of us appreciate. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we've relied on curbside pickup and home delivery, and it seems like online shopping and delivery will remain popular among customers.
With our comprehensive guide on accessing Walmart delivery, you can easily shop at one of the world's largest retailers and even have your groceries placed in the fridge while you're away at work.