As holiday shopping hits its final stretch, Walmart is giving procrastinators a real last‑minute boost: the company has extended its cutoff for Christmas‑Eve express delivery orders to 5 p.m. local time, allowing customers more flexibility for last‑minute gifting and essentials.
What This Means for Holiday Shoppers
- The new 5 p.m. cutoff is up one hour later than last year — a meaningful change for buyers scrambling to get gifts or groceries before Christmas.
- Walmart says December sees a 2.5× increase in use of its express‑delivery service, and that over one‑third of customers pay extra for 1‑hour (or less) delivery.
- According to internal data, Walmart can now reach 95% of U.S. households in three hours or less, underlining the strength of its store‑fulfilled delivery network.
Part of Walmart’s Broader Holiday Fulfillment Strategy
This move comes amidst a larger push by Walmart — and its retail competitors — to meet rising consumer demand for speed and convenience. The company recently expanded same‑day delivery coverage to reach 93 % of U.S. households.
During the previous holiday season Walmart offered a “Holiday Grand Finale” plan that extended shipping deadlines and offered express‑delivery and pickup options through Christmas Eve.
