US retail giant Walmart is teaming up with Chinese on-demand delivery giant Meituan, promising speedy door-to-door service on the mainland, four months after it sold its stake JD.com, winding down the long-time partnership.
Walmart’s China unit said on its official WeChat account that all of its stores across the country are now listed on Meituan’s platform, making groceries and other goods available for immediate delivery.
Meituan vice-president Xiao Kun said that by using the Shangou service, or “express shopping” in English, “everything arrives at [the customer’s] home in 30 minutes, anytime, anywhere”.
Zhu Jun, Walmart’s chief merchandising officer in China, called the collaboration “an effective supplement to Walmart’s omnichannel operations”.
In addition to providing delivery services, the goal of the partnership is to improve digital marketing and explore the business model of warehouse supermarkets, among others, Walmart said in a statement.
