Walmart is operating in a challenging environment, just like many grocery retailers nationwide. The battle for consumer dollars has become intense as shoppers adjust their behavior amid economic pressures, including tariffs, an uncertain housing market, and higher costs of living.

More Americans have been struggling to pay for groceries, and many have been hunting for deals and discounts to make ends meet, according to a recent survey from Swiftly. 

How Americans are shopping for groceries as prices rise:

  • Approximately 68% of consumers said they still struggle to afford groceries.
  • Additionally, 65% stated that rising food prices would directly change how they shop.
  • Also, 71% use coupons to manage costs, 55% shop based on discounts and promotions, and nearly seven in 10 rely on loyalty cards to save money.
  • A whopping 80% of shoppers said they trust their neighborhood brick-and-mortar grocery store more than national giants like Amazon or Walmart to offer fair, personalized deals. Source: Swiftly

“This year’s findings highlight a defining moment for regional and independent grocers,” said Swiftly CEO Henry Kim in a press release. “Shoppers are telling us two things loud and clear: they trust their local stores more than national giants, and they expect digital convenience, personalized value, and real-time savings.” 

To retain price-conscious consumers, Walmart introduced 7,400 price rollback discounts in its stores in 2025. It also expanded its delivery options to make grocery shopping more convenient. 

The grocery giant later revealed in its third-quarter earnings report for 2025 that its net sales increased by 5.1% year over year during the quarter. Also, according to recent data from Placer.ai, foot traffic in Walmart store locations increased by 0.4% year over year. 

“We drove positive transaction counts and unit volumes, and we’re gaining market share in grocery and general merchandise, including here in the U.S., where we saw strength across income cohorts and especially with higher-income households,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon during an earnings call in November.

Walmart has been taking bold measures to retain price-conscious shoppers.

Walmart expands a convenient delivery option for customers

Shutterstock As Walmart sees increased momentum from consumers, it has decided to double down on convenience to attract more shoppers and discourage them from fleeing to competitors. 

The grocery giant recently revealed that through its partnership with Wing, it plans to expand its drone delivery service to more than 150 Walmart stores across the U.S. by the end of this year, enabling upwards of 40 million Americans to access this service. 

The new locations will be based in metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, Cincinnati and St. Louis, with others to be announced later. 

“Drone delivery plays an important role in our ability to deliver what customers want, exactly when they want it,” said Greg Cathey, senior vice president of digital fulfillment transformation at Walmart, in a press release. “Whether it’s a last-minute ingredient for dinner, a must-have charger for a phone, or a late-night essential for a busy family, the strong adoption we’ve seen confirms that this is the future of convenience.”

Related: Kroger adds generous offer for customers as grocery prices rise

The move from Walmart comes after its June 2025 announcement of plans to expand its drone delivery service to five cities across the country: Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Tampa, and Orlando. 

Drone delivery has already begun at Walmart’s Atlanta and Charlotte locations, with service set to launch in Houston on Jan. 15. Walmart and Wing plan to establish a network of over 270 drone delivery locations by 2027. 

Walmart faces growing competition from Amazon

Walmart’s focus on rapidly expanding its drone delivery service comes at a time when Amazon is also growing its drone delivery and other fast delivery options for customers.

For example, in February last year, Amazon broadened its Prime Air drone delivery program to serve 10 major U.S. cities, including Atlanta and Dallas. It later expanded to three more locations in November. 

Last year, Amazon also shared plans to expand same-day and next-day delivery to more than 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities nationwide. It also introduced thousands of perishable grocery items to its same-day delivery service in over 2,300 U.S. cities and towns.

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More Retail: It is no surprise that Amazon has stepped up its game to compete with Walmart, as both companies are nearly neck and neck in terms of market share in online grocery sales. 

Currently, Walmart holds a 29.7% market share in the sector (an increase of 9.9 percentage points since 2020). Amazon owns 23.4%, according to data from market research company IBISWorld, which was shared with TheStreet. 

Walmart and Amazon’s focus on fast delivery follows a growing trend where more consumers expect convenience when it comes to grocery shopping. According to a 2024 survey from Wing, most Americans want online grocery orders to arrive at their doorstep within minutes.

What U.S. consumers expect with fast grocery delivery:

  • Approximately 82% of U.S. consumers name crowds, long lines, and unavailable inventory as the biggest pain points of in-store shopping. 
  • Also, 81% of consumers want the option to receive their orders within 30 minutes or less, and 76% are willing to pay for this convenience. 
  • Additionally, 84% of respondents expect online grocery orders to be delivered within the same day, while 30% want them within the hour. 
  • A total of 58% are likely or very likely to use a drone delivery service if available in their community. Source: Wing’s “Beyond the Aisle: The 2024 State of Grocery Shopping and Delivery” report.

“People want easy,” said RTMNexus CEO Dominick Miserandino in a statement to TheStreet. “If you can get what you need faster, with less effort and fewer decisions, that’s where shoppers go. Convenience isn’t a bonus anymore, it’s the expectation.”

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