Walmart is tapping geospatial technology to expand its delivery network as part of its broader investment in ecommerce fulfillment.
The move makes more U.S. households eligible for online orders, including same-day delivery where available, according to the company.
In an April 16 blog post, Walmart said it has developed a data science model that maps delivery areas using hexagonal grids — a shift from traditional ZIP code-based and other boundaries. The company says the approach improves accuracy and flexibility, allowing it to reach 12 million more U.S. households that may have previously fallen outside its delivery zones.
The new system also allows multiple nearby stores to fulfill a single order. If one store is missing an item, another can step in, helping to make sure customers receive everything in one delivery, the company said.
Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by annual web sales. The retailer is also No. 9 in the Global Online Marketplaces Database, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the top such marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (GMV). Digital Commerce 360 projects Walmart’s online sales will reach $153.88 billion in 2025.
How Walmart’s data science model aids delivery
Walmart says its new geospatial system replaces traditional delivery maps with a grid of hexagons. Each functions like a “tile” on a video game map, packed with real-time data.
Hexagons are a key part of the strategy. Unlike squares or circles, they fit together without gaps or overlaps, ensuring no household is left out at the edges of a delivery zone, the company explained.
“For example, a household that might have previously been just beyond the delivery boundary, now can enjoy the same convenient service as their neighbors across the street,” Walmart said in the blog post. “By shifting from rigid mapping methods to a more data-driven model, we ensure more customers have access to our delivery offerings.”
Walmart says the new model pulls in real-time data, including:
- Drive time for delivery drivers
- Store capacity
- Local customer demand
- Delivery slot availability
“This allows us to adjust delivery zones with greater accuracy, ultimately serving more customers across the country,” Walmart said.
The platform itself runs on open-source software and has been customized to meet Walmart’s operational needs, the retailer said. It integrates both internal and external data sources, all anonymized and in line with the company’s privacy policies, according to Walmart.
Fulfillment across multiple stores
In practice, Walmart says the technology not only expands coverage but also improves fulfillment logistics. By analyzing delivery potential in real time, the retailer can determine which stores are best positioned to fulfill each part of an order — and combine the items into a single delivery.
Previously, a customer’s order might have been fulfilled by just one Walmart store based on proximity, Walmart said. If that store didn’t have every item in stock, the customer would often receive their order in multiple shipments across different times.
Now, with geospatial mapping, a single household may fall under the coverage area of several nearby stores. If one location is missing an item, another store can pick it up. Walmart delivery drivers will consolidate all of the items into one drop-off, the company said.
“We’re excited about how technology is helping us simplify our customers’ lives, and geospatial technology is one of the many ways making Walmart delivery more accessible and convenient for more households than ever,” Walmart said.
Walmart broadens delivery innovation
The geospatial rollout is part of Walmart’s broader strategy to enhance delivery speed and convenience across its network.
In June 2024, the retailer expanded its drone delivery program to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Walmart said customers in the region were among the first to see drone delivery options appear directly in the Walmart app. As testing continues, Walmart is working with Zipline — a San Francisco-based drone delivery company — to bring the service to more Fort Worth-area locations, according to Fort Worth Report.
Walmart has also expanded access to pharmacy delivery. As of January, same-day prescription delivery is available in 49 states, covering hundreds of millions of customers, the company said. Walmart noted it is the first retailer to offer pharmacy, grocery, and general merchandise in a single online order.
Also in January, Walmart announced a $200 million agreement for automation firm Symbotic Inc. to acquire its advanced systems and robotics business. The deal includes a $520 million investment in Symbotic’s AI-powered fulfillment platform, which is designed to accelerate order processing and speed up ecommerce fulfillment at its stores.
Meanwhile, Walmart GoLocal — the company’s white-label last-mile delivery arm — continues to grow. In early 2025, GoLocal was integrated into IBM’s Sterling Order Management platform, allowing retailers such as Sally Beauty, World Market, and John Lewis Partnership to tap into Walmart’s logistics network, according to IBM. GoLocal supports a variety of delivery options, including same-day, next-day, scheduled, and oversized shipments, Walmart said,
The updates come as delivery speed remains a critical factor for online shoppers. A 2024 Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights survey of 1,013 online consumers found that delivery speed ranked second only to free shipping as the most important factor when choosing where to shop. Among respondents, about 28% prioritized next-day shipping, while about a quarter (24.38%) cited same-day shipping as most important.
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