Grocery Wars: Walmart, Publix and others battle for your dollars through delivery

A grocery war continues to escalate here in Southwest Florida, and you could end up saving time and maybe even some cash.

Jill Recklaw goes to Walmart all the time to do her grocery shopping. While still in the majority, she knows she’s a part of an ever-shrinking group of shoppers who choose to pick out their items themselves – instead of online ordering and having it delivered.

Recklaw said if she was ever in a hurry, she would definitely use the service and is not surprised Walmart’s going all out to win, by offering free delivery the entire month of October.

Walmart’s delivery service comes after Publix partnered with Instacart, which offers grocery delivery for $99 a year.

FGCU finance professor Michael Zahaby said Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods sparked the rush for other stores to deliver.

He says, “Amazon’s strength is digital. Walmart has to react somehow.”

It’s all about convenience, and appealing to customers who rather stay out of the store and have products delivered right to their front door.

Elli Lieberman shops at Walmart and agrees, “I think it helps people that either have time constraints or people who are elderly.”

So how will Walmart’s delivery service measure up to the competition?

“Size matters, and they have the size,” Zahaby explained. T’hey also have invested in digital pretty heavily.”

It’s survival of the fittest for grocery stores, but consumers will ultimately determine who wins.