By Tom Ward, SVP of Customer Product, Walmart U.S.
This year, we’ve had our foot on the accelerator, expanding our pickup and delivery services, so customers can get the items they need quickly and safely. In April alone, we launched Express Delivery and have since scaled it to more than 2,800 stores, reaching more than 65% of American households.
We may be growing delivery options today, but we’re still experimenting with new ways we can use technology to serve customers in the future. This time, we’re cruising over to Scottsdale, to rev up a new pilot with self-driving car company, Cruise. What’s unique about Cruise is they’re the only self-driving car company to operate an entire fleet of all-electric vehicles powered with 100% renewable energy, which supports our road to zero emissions by 2040.
As part of the pilot, which begins early next year, customers can place an order from their local store and have it delivered, contact-free, via one of Cruise’s all-electric self-driving cars. Technology that has the potential to not only save customers time and money but also is helpful to the planet is technology we want to learn more about.
You’ve seen us test drive with self-driving cars in the past, and we’re continuing to learn a lot about how they can shape the future of retail. We’re excited to add Cruise to our lineup of autonomous vehicle pilots as we continue to chart a whole new roadmap for retail.
