Walmart said Wednesday that it plans to expand its online grocery delivery option to more than 100 metro areas, up from its current six markets.
The giant retailer's announcement will mean it is joining a fierce battle for customers in the growing market for grocery delivery, as the industry continues to be reshaped by e-commerce.
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The news comes days after Kroger shared that it was also dramatically expanding grocery delivery by working with a third-party delivery service, and Amazon said in February that it's planning to bring two-hour delivery to Whole Foods across the U.S. this year.
Walmart said after it expands its online grocery delivery option that more than 40 percent of U.S. households will be able to buy groceries through the service.
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"Ninety percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, and we serve more than 150 million customers a week, which gives us a unique opportunity to make every day a little easier for busy families," said Tom Ward, Walmart's U.S. vice president of digital operations.
Walmart is already growing its grocery pickup option where the order is brought to the customer's car, which is another trend in the industry also being used by its competitors. The option is in 1,200 stores with 1,000 more to be added this year.
