BENTONVILLE, AR - A new partnership has come to fruition in the grocery delivery sector. Walmart has recently announced it is partnering with Instacart to offer same-day delivery starting in a few U.S. markets, making it the latest major grocery chain to team up with the delivery platform.

“Today, we welcomed Walmart to the Instacart marketplace for the first time in the U.S. Instacart now delivers from Walmart locations in three California markets—Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego—as well as Tulsa, Oklahoma,” an Instacart spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. “The new partnership brings thousands of items—from groceries, alcohol, and pantry staples to home decor and improvement, personal care, electronics, and more—at everyday low prices from Walmart stores to customers’ doors in as fast as an hour.”

The partnership is currently in a pilot phase in four markets across California and in Oklahoma. Walmart’s partnership comes at a key time. Consumers are relying on grocery delivery at an unprecedented rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and some analysts believe customers will continue to shop online even as things go back to normal, stated CNBC.

Already, Instacart has partnerships with retail giants such as Costco, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Wegmans, Albertsons, and Walmart’s Sam’s Club, along with smaller grocers and drug stores. By offering quick delivery, big chain grocers have a stronger position in the grocery delivery space.

Will this delivery platform extension be the boost that gives brick-and-mortar retailers the advantage over e-tailers like Amazon? Stay up to date as we follow the newswire.

Walmart Instacart