Walmart to Start Delivering Products for The Home Depot

The Home Depot on Wednesday became the first retailer to announce it was using Walmart's new delivery business, GoLocal, and would engage Walmart's drivers to deliver home improvement products purchased online to customers' doors in the coming weeks.

In a press release Wednesday, Stephanie Smith, senior vice president of supply chain for The Home Depot, said the partnership between the two retailers would bring The Home Depot "even closer to our goal of offering same-day or next-day delivery to 90 percent of the U.S. population."

Walmart launched GoLocal in late August, calling it a "white-label delivery" service that would empower businesses to grow using the retail giant's delivery capabilities and nationwide coverage at competitive pricing.

Total Retail's Take: On the surface this deal appears to be a win-win for Walmart and The Home Depot. Walmart gets to flex its delivery muscles, and because it's a household name — about 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store — its GoLocal delivery service could easily compete with other third-party delivery services. Meanwhile, the partnership allows The Home Depot to provide its customers with faster and more efficient delivery as it works to grow its digital sales. With more consumers shopping online, fast delivery has become an expectation. The Home Depot is counting on Walmart to help it get there.