Walmart opens massive online center

Walmart is bringing 1,500 jobs to Florida as it continues to expand its e-commerce fulfillment network.



The discounter on Tuesday opened an e-commerce fulfillment center in Davenport, Fla. At 2.2. million sq. ft., the state-of-the-art facility is equivalent in size to about 20 football fields and features 33 miles of shelving and dock doors that can withstand wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour. It will house millions of items dedicated to fulfilling online orders and will enable faster shipping directly to customers or to stores for free pickup, Walmart said.



The facility is the sixth addition to the next-generation fulfillment network that Walmart is building to support its e-commerce business. The new 50-acre campus is part of a $450 million investment the retailer previously announced it is making in Florida between 2017 and 2018.



“This campus is just the latest example of Walmart’s commitment to offering customers fast shipping on items they need every day,” said Nate Faust, senior VP, Walmart U.S. e-commerce supply chain. “We’re excited not only about the economic impact our facility has had, and will continue to have, in the community, but also how it will help us empower our customers to shop when and how they want.”



The opening comes at a time of growth in e-commerce for Walmart. In the first quarter of this year, the retailer experienced 63% growth in U.S. e-commerce sales, the majority coming from organic growth in Walmart.com. Since the beginning of the year, Walmart.com has rolled out a number of new features, including free two-day shipping with no membership fees, an extra discount for picking up orders in stores and the ability to easily reorder online or make store purchases within the Walmart app.