New research from the July PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Speed Versus Spend: Who Shopped Amazon and Walmart’s Deal Days and Why,” reveals a shifting competitive landscape, one in which logistics, grocery strategy and consumer behavior converge to challenge the long-held assumption that Amazon is always fastest, and that its logistics network is an ironclad castle.
The data tells a nuanced story. While Amazon continues to excel in traditional fulfillment lanes like two-day and next-day shipping, Walmart has carved out a surprising lead in the category that matters most in the age of instant gratification: same-day delivery. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the grocery aisle.
After all, grocery is inherently local, and Walmart’s expansive store footprint can help to give it a built-in advantage.
More here: Tapped-Out Consumers Shape Summer Retail’s Innovation Bets and Price Wars
A Tale of Two Fulfillment Philosophies
According to the data, nearly 48% of Walmart customers who bought only groceries opted for same-day delivery, compared to 36% for Amazon. Even among those who purchased both grocery and non-grocery items, Walmart was the preferred same-day provider for 41% of respondents, besting Amazon’s 29%.
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This is not merely a tactical win — it represents a strategic shift that signals the evolution of Walmart’s eCommerce operation. Over the past few years, the retail giant has invested heavily in local fulfillment centers, real-time inventory systems and last-mile partnerships with DoorDash, Spark and Uber. These investments are now bearing fruit, especially in categories where time sensitivity is paramount.
One of the most revealing findings is how customer behavior diverges when groceries enter the equation. For orders that included only groceries, Walmart’s lead in same-day fulfillment widened. More notably, a significant portion of Walmart’s grocery customers — 21% — didn’t use delivery at all. Compare that with Amazon, where less than 2% of grocery-only customers skipped delivery.
This gap underscores differing consumer relationships with each brand. Many Walmart customers are likely using curbside pickup or shopping in-store, both of which play to Walmart’s strengths in physical retail. Amazon, lacking that same-store infrastructure, has cultivated a customer base more dependent on delivery.
Read the report: Speed Versus Spend: Who Shopped Amazon and Walmart’s Deal Days and Why
What Comes Next?
As the line between eCommerce and brick-and-mortar continues to blur, the next phase of competition will be won or lost in the final mile. Amazon remains a logistics titan in infrastructure and automation, but Walmart’s ability to marshal its physical assets into a digital-first experience signals a new era of hybrid retail.
In this context, same-day delivery isn’t just about being fast — it’s about being relevant. And it’s happening against a backdrop where this summer is shaping up to be a retail crucible. The forces converging — tariffs, inflation, AI innovation, changing consumer behavior and competitive recalibration — are quickly reshaping playbooks.
In a sign of the times, beginning July 28, Target will no longer match competitor prices from Amazon or Walmart. Instead, its Price Match Guarantee will apply only to Target-owned channels such as stores, Target.com, its app and Target Plus.
Amid escalating tariffs on Chinese imports, Amazon has quietly increased prices on roughly 1,200 low-cost essential goods by an average of 5%, with some products seeing increases as high as 136%. Categories include deodorant, cleaning products and pet supplies.
As Amazon and Walmart, and even Target, each recalibrate their strategies, the common thread appears to be leveraging innovations to overcome operational and landscape challenges.
