Walmart going down to the wire for store pickup of online holiday orders

Walmart is leveraging its mighty store network to gain a competitive advantage over Amazon for last-minute holiday shoppers.



The discount retailer announced Tuesday it will offer shoppers a Christmas Eve store pickup commitment for eligible orders placed online by 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 23.



In addition, Walmart launched a dedicated online destination so customers can easily find items that are available for same-day pickup the days leading up to Christmas. The site will feature thousands of items and will indicate what is available at local stores.



“We are making it easy for customers to find last-minute gifts in stores and online by ensuring we’re stocked with top items and offering Pickup through Dec. 24,” said Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S.



For customers looking to have gifts delivered right to their doorsteps, Dec. 22 at noon local time is the last day to place an order on Walmart.com for rush delivery.



Walmart is also closing stores at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, two hours earlier than in past years.