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Walmart, Ford partnering to explore autonomous car delivery

July 30, 2019

On the heels of offering grocery pickup, Walmart is working with Ford to explore autonomous car delivery in what it's calling a pilot effort.

It's part of Walmart's strategy to innovate when it comes to serving customers, according to a blog written by Tom Ward, Walmart U.S. senior vice president, digital operations.

"Retail is changing at a rapid pace, and what's 'easy' in 2018 might feel old-fashioned in 2028. In fact, Walmart is already offering grocery delivery in nearly 100 metro areas and is continuing to innovate to find new ways to serve customers — better, faster and easier," wrote Ward.

Walmart, he noted, just conducted a small pilot with Waymo to determine how customers will want to use self-driving vehicles when it comes to grocery shopping. The Ford pilot is taking place in Florida's Miami-Dade County. The chain currently partners with Postmates for Miami customer delivery. Postmates is already connected to the Ford digital platform, the blog noted.

"Walmart and Ford agree autonomous vehicles have an important role to play as we consider the future of delivery. Before self-driving cars can go mainstream, we must get a better sense of how people want to interact with them. Together, we will gather crucial data to learn the best way to bring items to customers," wrote Ward.