Walmart, one of the largest retail chains, has released a statement that will impact the company's logistics in the United States. This announcement has caused a great stir among its members, as it involves a significant change in the way the company handles its deliveries. The updates, aimed at optimizing its distribution network, will directly affect the speed of the company's deliveries.
In the report, Walmart has revealed that currently 93% of households in the United States can already receive their orders the same day. The company plans to reach 95% coverage before the end of the year. This change is part of a strategy that seeks to reshape the logistics system through the use of geospatial data.
Replacement of Zip Codes and New Deliveries
The most notable change in Walmart's new logistics system is the replacement of zip codes with a more advanced geospatial segmentation. Now, deliveries are planned in hexagonal areas, a system that takes into account multiple factors such as demand, transit time, and the operational capacity of each store. According to Walmart, this system has allowed 12 million more households to be integrated into their same-day delivery network.
David Guggina, Vice President of eCommerce at Walmart U.S., has confirmed that one-third of the orders processed in stores are now delivered in less than three hours. This type of improvement in logistics has allowed Walmart to make much more efficient use of its resources. Additionally, geospatial segmentation helps reduce consumer wait times, making deliveries faster and more accurate.
Drone Testing and Coverage Expansion
In addition to the geospatial system, Walmart is also implementing innovative drone tests in certain areas of the United States. One of the zones where these tests are being conducted is Dallas-Fort Worth, where more than 120,000 aerial deliveries have been made, according to La Nación. These aerial deliveries are part of a series of tests the company is conducting to make deliveries even faster and cover hard-to-reach areas.
Walmart is also replicating efficient distribution models that have already been successful in other countries, such as China and Mexico. In these places, the average delivery time is less than an hour, which shows the company's potential to continue improving its distribution network. These innovations allow Walmart to keep competitive against other large e-commerce companies, like Amazon, which is also implementing similar changes.