Walmart’s Spark Driver platform celebrates five-year milestone

The Spark Driver platform has grown to operate in all 50 U.S. states across more than 17,000 pickup points, with the ability to reach 84% of U.S. households.

Sandra Levy

6/13/2023

Walmart's Spark Driver platform is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

In a post on the retailer's website, Nav Chadha, vice president of On-Demand Delivery at Walmart, said that what started as a way to deliver to customers in rural and suburban areas has become Walmart’s largest local delivery service provider.

"At the time, Walmart offered grocery pickup in fewer than 2,000 stores and we had just started rolling out grocery delivery to 800 locations. Today, Walmart offers delivery from more than 4,000 stores. In the past five years, the Spark Driver platform has grown to operate in all 50 U.S. states across more than 17,000 pickup points, with the ability to reach 84% of U.S. households," Chadha noted.

Chadha added, “The number of drivers on the Spark Driver platform tripled in the past year, and hundreds of thousands of drivers have made deliveries on the Spark Driver app since it was introduced. We’re also building on the success of the Spark Driver platform by bringing other retailers reliable, same-day delivery through Walmart GoLocal, our white-label, delivery-as-a-service offering. Through Walmart GoLocal, drivers on the Spark Driver platform make deliveries for other leading retailers,” Chadha said.

Chadha continued, “I’m incredibly proud of this growth. It’s helped us better serve our customers and clients while giving independent contractors a flexible, convenient and reliable way to earn money. As we’ve grown, we’ve also enhanced the platform to give drivers a better experience."

Chadha pointed out the following details of the driver experience:

Choice and opportunity: Backed by the size and scale of Walmart, drivers receive consistent and competitive offers to make deliveries. We’ve introduced a variety of offer types so drivers can choose based on their preferences, such as curbside pickup, shopping and delivery, return and deliveries for other retailers through Walmart GoLocal. The Spark Driver platform doesn’t limit driver earnings, and drivers receive competitive earnings based on distance, size of delivery and extras.

Flexibility and convenience: Drivers can make deliveries when they want, where they want— whether they’re making a delivery on their way to pick up their kids from school or are college students looking to earn between classes. We let drivers choose their delivery zone and easily switch them—so if they’re traveling to another city or state, they can quickly sign into the app and start making deliveries.

Trust and transparency: We operate so drivers can make informed choices about when and how they earn. We give drivers visibility into order details in the offer card, including trip and post-trip information, which helps them track their earnings progress and incentives. We’ve improved the app and earnings screens to increase transparency and give drivers additional visibility into the status of their earnings on a weekly, daily and trip level. We’re also deploying in-app features to mitigate the potential for fraudulent platform use. Drivers receive random checks that prompt them to verify their identity or device.

“These upgrades are a direct response to driver feedback and are an important part of the driver experience. Drivers have several channels to share feedback with us, and we’re focused on improving the platform to bring them a more seamless experience. When drivers on the Spark Driver platform can easily navigate the app and fulfill deliveries, they’re able to complete orders with more efficiency and maximize their earning opportunities. We’ve learned a lot along the way and won’t stop looking for ways to make the platform better for drivers,” Chadha concluded.

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