Franchise News
Walmart Partners With Autonomous Vehicle Startup to Test Grocery Delivery
Retail giant Walmart is launching a new pilot program with autonomous vehicle company Udelv in Arizona.
Facing heightened competition from e-commerce giant Amazon, Walmart is getting creative in its latest effort to increase customer convenience. The company announced today it has partnered with autonomous vehicle startup Udelv to expand its grocery pickup and delivery program to include autonomous delivery vans. The pilot program will take place in Surprise, Arizona.
This isn’t Walmart’s first venture into autonomous vehicle delivery testing, either. The company previously announced pilot programs with self-driving car companies Ford and Waymo as it expands delivery to more than 100 cities across the U.S. According to the announcement, the company is investing in these tests “to start understanding how customers will want to use the technology when it comes to their grocery shopping.”
CNBC noted Walmart is investing in online grocery delivery at the right time, as online spending by U.S. consumers for groceries is expected to climb 15 percent this year, according to a survey conducted by grocer advisory group Brick Meets Click.
Read the full announcement here.
Photo courtesy of Walmart.
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About the Author
Madeline Lena
FollowMaddie has spent her career in the media industry, serving in various editorial roles before migrating into a hybrid content strategy and PR role with No Limit Agency. Her passion for storytelling and love of writing help her create meaningful content on behalf of her clients and fulfill No Limit Agency’s mission to tell people-driven stories.
Maddie is a graduate of Saint Louis University, where she studied Communications with a focus in journalism and media studies as well as Sports Business. In her spare time, Maddie can be found exploring Chicago’s food scene, watching an NBA game or lamenting over her middling fantasy baseball team.
