Walmart, Instacart Pilot a New Virtual Convenience Store in Canada

Walmart and Instacart are piloting a new virtual convenience store in Canada, giving customers in the Toronto area access to groceries, pantry and household essentials, snacks and more for delivery in as fast as 30 minutes, the companies announced June 23. 

Called Walmart Now, the new virtual c-store will leverage Walmart’s existing network of stores to bring the fast, convenience-based option to about 40% of greater Toronto area households, Walmart Canada said in a release. Additionally, nearly 4,000 of the retailer's most-shopped items will be available on Walmart Now. 

“Launching Walmart Now ... is proof that Walmart Canada is here to drive change in the e-commerce space,” said Laurent Duray, chief e-commerce officer for Walmart Canada. “We’re nimble, we’re determined and we’re here to change the way Canadians shop online with Walmart. Piloting 30-minute delivery is a milestone in our roadmap to making it faster, easier and more convenient than ever to shop with us.”

Walmart Now is powered by Instacart Platform, a suite of technologies that give retailers across North America access to the tools they need to launch and support new e-commerce and fulfillment offerings for customers, as well as Instacart's Carrot Storefront.

Instacart and Walmart Canada, which is based in Mississauga, Ontario, and has more than 400 retail units, began working together in 2018, offering customers delivery in as fast as an hour from more than 250 Walmart Canada locations across the country. Walmart Now expedites that to 30 minutes.  

“Customers today expect convenience and quick delivery paired with broad selection,” said Chris Rogers, VP of retail for Instacart. “We know these components are fundamental as retailers seek to build the best online grocery experience for their customers. By collaborating with leading retailers like Walmart and providing Instacart Platform solutions that are purpose-built for grocery, we’re making it easier for retailers to get customers exactly what they need, when they need it.”

Walmart Now is available on the Instacart App and at walmart-now-convenience.instacart.ca, which was built with Carrot Storefront, Instacart’s end-to-end, white-label e-commerce solution.