BENTONVILLE, AK: March 14, 2018. Walmart is to expand its grocery delivery service to reach more than 40 percent of U.S. households by the end of the year. Currently available in six markets, it will be expanded to reach 100 metro areas in the next nine months.

Walmart delivers fresh produce, meat, seafood and bakery items, along with pantry staples, consumables and seasonal general merchandise via online or its grocery app.

The retailer employs more than 18,000 personal shoppers that support its program who complete a three-week training program on how to select the freshest produce and the best cuts of meat for online customers.

“We’re saving customers time by leveraging new technology, and connecting all the parts of our business into a single seamless shopping experience: great stores, easy pickup, fast delivery, and apps and websites that are simple to use,” said Greg Foran, president and CEO, Walmart U.S.

According to Tom Ward, vice president, Digital Operations, Walmart U.S., 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store so groceries can be delivered to customers the same day.

In October last year, Walmart acquired acquired Parcel, a technology-based, 24/7 service that uses routing algorithms to deliver perishable and non-perishable items to customers in New York City.

The company said it plans to leverage Parcel for last mile delivery of both general merchandise as well as fresh and frozen groceries from Walmart and Jet, an e-commerce company purchased in 2016.