Walmart gives shoppers a free way to skip the holiday chaos

Walmart has added a new way to make holiday shopping easier.

The chain has introduced Express Pickup, a way to shave time off how long it takes to get their order from the store.

Walmart explained how it works in a press release.

“Place an order in the Walmart app, and it can be ready for curbside pickup in as soon as one hour,” the company shared.

Walmart offers free access to Express Pickup for Walmart+ members. It has not shared the cost for customers who do not subscribe to that service.

Express Pickup is available at 500 stores today and will expand nationwide in the coming weeks, in time to shop for the Thanksgiving meal.

The one-hour option isn’t available for every order. Walmart said Express Pickup is limited to eligible items at participating stores and depends on inventory and store capacity.

Consumers like curbside pickup

Ipsos shared the results of a 2025 survey, and consumers do seem to like curbside pickup.

“Nearly half of curbside pickup users (46%) do so at least weekly, and 71% indicate they are likely to do so again. Similarly, 46% of delivery customers do so at least weekly, and 73% indicate they are likely to use this ordering channel again in the future,” the data showed.

Walmart was not named one of Ipsos award winners:

• H-E-B: Recognized for Best Overall Performance for both curbside pickup and delivery experience due to very high scores across most ecommerce dimensions.
• Shipt: Recognized for Best Overall Performance among the third-party ecommerce providers for both customization and order delivery experience.
• Among supermarket brands, Hy-Vee finished first for curbside pickup customization and delivery experience, Kroger finished first for curbside pickup experience, and Giant Eagle finished first for delivery customization.

Walmart wants to make delivery easy

In addition to growing its curbside pickup business, Walmart has worked on growing its delivery base. That has included leveraging its prescription drug customers.

“If you think about the average Walmart customer and the Walmart customer that also engages in health and wellness, the health and wellness customer spends about 3x more than the average Walmart customer. If they use Rx delivery, so we have lit up the same delivery capabilities that we have for general merchandise and for food for pharmaceuticals,” Walmart U.S. President David Guggina said during the Sept. 15 Goldman Sachs Global Consumer and Retail Conference.

Guggina noted that Walmart can deliver to 96% of the U.S. population in 3 hours or less, and 60% of the U.S. population in 30 minutes or less.

“So if you look at the Rx delivery customer, they spend almost 6x more than the average customer,” he added.

Shoppers still prefer going into stores

While I shop online nearly every day, I almost never use curbside pickup. That’s a problem of execution, as I’m often unclear where to go or get there, and find all the spaces filled.

In reality, however, when I’m not solely focused on convenience, I actually like going into stores. The majority of Americans agree with me.

“In-store shopping remains popular among U.S. adults, despite the rise of online shopping. More than half (56%) say they prefer shopping both online and in-store equally, compared with 24% who prefer to do most of their shopping online, and 19% in-store,” a SurveyMonkey survey showed.

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Not having a store at all was also something consumers are wary of.

“A lack of in-store presence is a potential red flag for consumers: 88% say it is very or somewhat important for a business to have both in-store and online purchase options, while 24% say they are less likely to make an online purchase at a business that does not have an in-store presence,” the data showed.

How Walmart’s curbside pickup works

Walmart shared how to place a curbside pickup order on its website.

“Simply place an order online, choose a timeslot, and an associate will gather your items and place them in bags. When your order is ready, we’ll send a Ready for Pickup email if you’ve chosen to pick up from your local store or your order can be delivered right to your door,” the company shared.

Pickup Orders

To check-in online or in the app:

1. Open the app or email.
   • You can also use the link in your text message.
2. Select I’m on my way.
3. Once you’ve checked in, head to the store and park in one of the Curbside Pickup parking spots.
4. When you arrive, select I’ve parked.
5. Enter the spot number and color of the vehicle.
6. A Walmart associate will bring your order to you.

If you’re having issues checking in from the Walmart app, you can use the store check-in steps.

To check-in at the store:

1. Use one of the Curbside Pickup parking spots.
2. Call the phone number on the parking sign or in your confirmation email.
3. A Walmart associate will bring your order to you.