PYMNTS-MonitorEdge-May-2024

Food eCommerce Platform Local Express Teams With Walmart for Delivery

Walmart, GoLocal, Local Express

Local Express, a company that specializes in delivering foods for restaurants, bakeries and beverage purveyors, has teamed with Walmart GoLocal, the retail giant’s white-label delivery service, to offer expanded same- and next-day delivery services.

According to a Tuesday (June 21) press release, the partnership will allow Local Express to serve additional businesses in locations including Chicago, Illinois, Miami, Florida, and Arlington, Texas.

Local Express reports having “more than 500” eateries and stores onboarded. Those businesses have access to mobile apps, self-checkout, service kiosks and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help with deliveries and shipments, per the release.

The arrangement is Walmart GoLocal’s first with a company that has such broad offerings in the specialty food delivery space, according to the announcement. Walmart stated in the release that in three years, its delivery network has expanded to serve more than 2,000 retail locations nationwide.

“Local Express is focused on modernizing the e-commerce experience for food and beverage retailers everywhere,” said Bagrat Safarian, chief executive of Local Express. “As there continues to be strong consumer demand for delivery, it’s especially important for retailers to have a seamless online ordering and delivery experience.

“Our collaboration with Walmart GoLocal will enable our food and beverage providers to offer low-cost, convenient delivery to their customers and stay competitive.”

Last month, UPS bought Delivery Solutions, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that provides retailers with software tools and and access to resources designed to make local delivery easier. Delivery Solutions also works with Walmart GoLocal.

Read more: UPS Acquires SaaS Technology Company Delivery Solutions

Walmart GoLocal General Manager Harsit Patel said at the time that the company hoped to “share our expertise in local delivery with businesses of all sizes.”

PYMNTS-MonitorEdge-May-2024