Just like Amazon, Walmart now offers free next-day delivery

Mega-retailer Walmart on Tuesday announced next-day delivery on more than 200,000 items for orders over $35.

The program kicks off first in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Southern California, then expands to reach 75% of the US population by the end of 2019.

Just last month, Amazon announced free, one-day delivery as a new perk for all Prime members.

Here's an excerpt from the Walgreens announcement:

We started with same-day pickup in our stores in 2011 and began offering two-day free shipping two years ago with no membership fee. But, the most exciting development has been the creation of Grocery Pickup and Delivery. We’re on track to offer Grocery Pickup from 3,100 stores and same-day Grocery Delivery from 1,600 stores by year-end, which will provide coverage to approximately 80% and 50% of the U.S. population, respectively. This has been a game-changer for busy families.

And, today, to complement our same-day Grocery Delivery, we’re excited to announce a new offering we’ve been working on for a while now. We’re adding free NextDay delivery on a wide range of general merchandise from Walmart.com, without a membership fee. NextDay delivery will be available first to Walmart.com customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas, and will expand to Southern California in the coming days. It will roll out gradually over the coming months, with a plan to reach approximately 75% of the U.S. population this year, which includes 40 of the top 50 major U.S. metro areas.

Walmart’s NextDay delivery offers a stand-alone, curated shopping experience where customers can browse up to 220,000 of the items most frequently purchased, ranging from diapers and laundry detergent to toys and electronics, with more assortment to be added. It is available on eligible orders of $35 or more, with the specific assortment varying by customer location.

Here’s how NextDay delivery works:

A customer visits Walmart.com and toggles into the NextDay delivery experience to view items that are eligible for free NextDay delivery.

After adding items to their cart, the customer proceeds to checkout. Everything in the cart must be eligible for NextDay delivery to qualify. Cut-off times vary by location.

Lauren Thomas at CNBC:

[via TechMeme, image courtesy walmart.com]