In a Nutshell
pros
- 2 hours or less delivery option
- Same discounted prices online and in-store
- Good app with order tracking
cons
- Can get complicated with the differing delivery options
- Delivery time slots might run out
Walmart at a Glance
Services offered: Full-service shopping, delivery, pickup
Price per delivery: Varies depending on location and items $5.99-$7.95, free if eligible
Delivery options: Two-day, next-day, same-day, 2 hours or less (express)
Subscription options: Monthly, annually (optional)
What’s Unique About Walmart?
Walmart is one of America’s favorite stores to head to for just about anything you need, from electronics to clothing and household items. Living up to expectations, the online grocery delivery experience doesn’t disappoint. The website is easy to use, with good categorizations, and Walmart offers some great delivery options. Here are a few things that really make the store shine:
- Delivery options abound
Walmart has a ton of options when it comes to deliveries. You can get same-day, next-day, and two-day deliveries on thousands of grocery items. Additionally, Walmart offers an express delivery service that will get you your items in two hours or less. That’s almost as fast as borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor!
- Walmart+
Additionally, Walmart has a membership plan that you can sign up for. While you’re not required to enroll in the Walmart+ experience in order to use the online grocery delivery service, there are some perks that might make you want to. Membership benefits include:
- Free next-day and two-day shipping without a minimum order
- Free delivery on groceries ($35 minimum)
- Discounts on Walmart, Murphy, and Sam’s Club gas stations
- Fast checkout with mobile scan and go when in store
Walmart+ has a 15-day free trial. So you can test out the service and see if it’s as beneficial to you as they say.
How It Works
Walmart makes the entire online grocery shopping experience fast and easy. In fact, it’s downright pleasant, especially when you compare it to trekking out to a store. Walmart stores are huge, and the online version is no exception. So it might be overwhelming at first. Here’s a rundown of how online grocery delivery service works:
- Visit the food section of the Walmart.com site
- Select your food items
Now you can start your shopping. You can browse by department, or filter products according to your preferences like delivery option, brand, and special dietary need. Grocery categories include seasonal groceries, beverages, baking supplies, coffee, and pantry staples, to name a few. And, yes, Walmart also has the fresh stuff, including deli meats, dairy products, fresh produce, and seafood. There are frozen foods as well as international foods, organic products, and specialty items.
Walmart doesn’t have an instant add to cart button (at least in the regular view), something the brand might think of adding for further convenience. It does feature a heart button that you can click on to add items to your favorites list, though. This is a great way to create a list of frequent items that you buy often. Then the next time you want to shop, you can simply visit your favorites list and select the items for delivery. Faster and easier.
Now here’s the part I didn’t like. You’ll notice that Walmart displays the delivery options below each product. Some will say 2-day delivery, others Next Day eligible, etc. The trouble is that if you pick items with varying delivery options, then your deliveries may come at different times. It also means your minimum order eligibility may be skewed. So this part is a little confusing for most people. But it’s not uncommon in the online grocery delivery service industry, so…
- Check out
Once you’ve done your shopping, you can check out. Walmart will ask if you missed anything and make a few suggestions (here the add to cart button does show up, FYI). You can add more items, or just continue to checkout. Enter delivery and payment info, and then you can select your delivery time. There are a lot of options, as mentioned.
I didn’t like the way that you could run out of delivery time slots. Meaning, you might have given the shopping plenty of time to get to you by the next day, but Walmart might not have any delivery time slots available. In which case, you’ll get bumped to the next day or even later on in the week. I don’t like that my groceries might have to wait till the end of the week because a time slot isn’t available sooner. While Walmart does suggest checking back with the site because new time slots do become available throughout the day, this service definitely shouldn’t be limited in this way. And why should I have to do the work of checking back? Points lost there, Walmart.
On the other hand, when all things are running smoothly, Walmart has a ton of delivery options. That part I like a lot. You can get two-day deliveries, next-day, and even same-day. And once again, there’s the superfast express delivery option (that one you’ll have to pay for - more on that below).
Pricing
Walmart’s online grocery delivery service does not require membership. But there is a minimum order amount if you want to get free deliveries. There’s no minimum order requirement on the express delivery option, though. Express delivery gets you your items in 2 hours or less, costing you an extra $10. Regular delivery costs vary depending on your location, but it’s usually $5.99-$7.95.
Same-day pickup is free (with a $35 minimum), and Walmart personnel will load the groceries straight into your car. But what’s truly great about shopping at Walmart is that there are no mark-ups for the online storefront. You’ll pay the same discounted prices you get when you walk into a Walmart store.
And then there’s the Walmart+ membership option we’ve already discussed. To recap, Walmart+ gives you perks like free shipping without any minimum order amount (next-day or 2-day shipping), free grocery deliveries with $35+ orders, savings on fuel at participating Walmart and Murphy stations ($0.05 to the gallon), and convenient mobile scan and go. That last one is particularly useful if you shop in-store at Walmart because it’ll save you a lot of time waiting at the register.
Help & Support
Walmart has live chat and phone support for general questions or anything to do with your account, orders, or delivery options. There’s also an FAQ section about Walmart+. But a regular FAQ for the grocery services was glaringly missing from the site.
Phone Support
1 (800) 925-6278
Bottom Line
Walmart has a few glitches in its online delivery service, like somewhat confusing delivery options and possible delivery window gaps. But, in general, the experience is a great one. You’ll get discounted prices, the same kind you get in-store, and when deliveries are running smoothly, you can get your items the same or next day. You can even get them within two hours or less with express shipping, a fab option for most people. Walmart+ is also a convenient way to save time and money if you shop at Walmart frequently.
