Walmart testing same-day delivery for holidays

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart said Tuesday it is testing same-day delivery service in four markets over the holiday shopping season.

The service is being tested in northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and San Francisco/San Jose, Calif. Geared toward customers who buy popular items online during the holidays, the test includes about 5,000 items and builds on a same-day grocery delivery service the retailer launched in San Jose in April 2010 and tested in San Francisco in 2011.

According to Walmart spokeswoman Amy Lester, the company has no immediate plans to roll out the service to other stores. "This is truly to learn and better understand what our customers want," Lester said.

To use the service, customers can place orders up until noon and then choose a four-hour window to receive the delivery the same day. Walmart is using UPS delivery trucks to deliver the merchandise. For the San Francisco and San Jose markets, shoppers have to order by 7 a.m. that day to receive those items. Walmart is using its own delivery trucks in those two regions.