Walmart’s in-house tech incubator, Store No. 8, has just launched its first product. Jetblack is a concierge-style service that allows consumers to request items for rapid delivery.
Right now, shoppers will need an invite to the service. Jetblack is also currently limited to Manhattan and Brooklyn, and is restricted to buildings with a doorman. However, Walmart plans to expand the service to the other boroughs, and a waitlist is available now.
The service is currently priced at $50 a month, which is considerably more than competitor Amazon Prime, and promises same-day delivery.
Walmart describes Jetblack as combining “the convenience of e-commerce with the customized attention of a personal assistant.” To request an item, members of Jetblack will send a text message to the service, and will receive personalized recommendations sent back via text. Walmart will be able to utilize its considerable assets here, leveraging its recent Jet.com acquisition to provide increased inventory. Jetblack, using Jet.com and Walmart’s shipping centers, will then guarantee delivery of the requested item on the same day that it was ordered.
According to the embedded video at the top of this article, Walmart is seemingly trying to market this product to wealthy urban mothers. After an on-boarding process, the service will know the customer’s preferences. For example in the video, the mother asks for diapers. The Jetblack application will know the diaper size of the child, as well as the mother’s preferred brand.
Jetblack is the latest product launched as part of Walmart’s attempt to take on archival Amazon. The company operates other e-commerce brands such as Jet.com, Bonobos, and ModCloth, and sees digital as the future of its business. Walmart’s digital sales have increased 33% last quarter.
