Even though the Bentonville, Ark.-based company doesn’t have any stores in New York City, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. can deliver same-day orders to Gotham City residents, thanks to its acquisition of Parcel, a Brooklyn-based logistics startup.
Wal-Mart acquired Parcel for an “undisclosed amount,” according to reports.
Deliveries include both perishables and non-perishables, according to a Wal-Mart blog post.
The post quoted Nate Faust, senior vice president, Walmart U.S. eCommerce Supply Chain about its decision to buy Parcel.
“Parcel is a proven leader in e-commerce package delivery, including taking fresh, frozen and perishable food, the last mile – that is, the last step in the shipping process as products make their way from a fulfillment center to your door,” Faust said, in the post.
Faust also pointed to Parcel’s existing partnerships with meal kit, grocery and e-commerce companies as a strength of the deal.
“(Parcel) has delivered more than one million meals in the past two years,” Faust said, in the post. “So our immediate plan is for Parcel to continue serving its existing clients and growing its customer base.”
The upside comes especially for same-day deliveries. Wal-Mart’s Jet is testing complimentary same-day deliveries currently.
“We can build upon that and plan to leverage Parcel for last-minute delivery to customers in New York City – including same-day delivery – for both general merchandise as well as fresh and frozen groceries from Wal-Mart and Jet,” Faust said.
Read more about it at Blog.Walmart.Com.