On Feb. 28, 2022, Walmart framed its store network as more than a place to shop: stores were also pickup and delivery hubs feeding the last mile. The company said pickup and delivery capacity had risen 20% in the previous year and planned a further 35% increase that year. It also reported a 170% rise in store-originated orders over the preceding year. Those figures describe Walmart’s own account, not an independent measure of service quality. [story-s1]
The release also explained the role planned for Market Fulfillment Centers inside stores. Their inventory would be separate from store inventory, letting the company serve online and in-store demand through related but distinct operations. Walmart presented these centers as additions to a larger network rather than replacements for stores. [story-s1]
The delivery layer extended beyond store pickup. Walmart said it was scaling InHome to reach 30 million U.S. homes and planned to hire 3,000 associates for an all-electric delivery fleet. It also described Spark Driver and Walmart GoLocal as ways to use its last-mile platform for deliveries to consumers and other businesses. The operational bet was density: combine nearby stores, specialized fulfillment, drivers and routing technology to shorten the distance between order and doorstep. The announcement set out the company’s strategy and targets; it did not establish that every target was later met. [story-s1]
Source documents
- Working as Fulfillment Centers, Walmart Stores are the Star of the Last Milehttps://corporate.walmart.com/news/2022/02/28/working-as-fulfillment-centers-walmart-stores-are-the-star-of-the-last-mile