The race keeps heating up to be the retailer of choice for shoppers who need products delivered ASAP.

Walmart is now making deliveries as early as 6 a.m., and can have your order there within 30 minutes, the world's largest retailer announced Friday. Previously, the earliest orders were at 8 a.m.

Back in September, Walmart expanded express delivery to 10 p.m. on orders placed by 9:30 p.m.

Expanding delivery times is "about building a suite of Pickup and Delivery options that prioritize convenience, speed and putting the customer at the very center," Walmart U.S. executive vice president and chief ecommerce officer Tom Ward said at the time.

Among the early morning needs Walmart highlights in its new announcement about Express On-Demand Early Morning Deliveries: baby essentials such as diapers, emergency wardrobe replacements and kitchen appliances such as blenders.

Walmart will even help the early bird get the worm. Later this month, the retailer will begin delivering live bait from more than 3,000 of its stores, to help those heading out on a morning fishing excursion.

Walmart's move comes just days after Target expanded its customer options with a new Target Circle 360 membership ($99 annually or $49 if you have a Target Circle credit card), which gets subscribers free same-day delivery on orders over $35, with delivery speeds as fast as an hour.

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What does it cost to get early morning deliveries from Walmart?

Walmart+ members pay $10 for Express On-Demand Early Morning Deliveries and $5 for 3-hour deliveries. Shoppers who are not Walmart+ subscribers will pay additional fees.

Walmart+ ($98 annually) gives customers benefits including free deliveries and shipping, plus mobile scan and go shopping using your smartphone in stores.

Younger shoppers want it fast

Shoppers have come to expect expanded delivery and pickup services and other competitors including Amazon, Costco and Kroger have also continued to expand delivery options.

Younger shoppers, especially, want products delivered or available for pickup sooner than older shoppers and will pay for it, a November 2023 survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. found.

About half (49%) of Gen Z consumers said they expected to use same-day or next-day delivery and 59% said they would pay for same-day delivery. Among millennials, 38% said they would use same-day and next-day deliveries and 58% said they would pay for the service, the survey found.

Gen X (32%) and Baby Boomers (22%) were less likely to use same-day or next-day delivery and were willing to pay for it (Gen X, 47%; Baby Boomers, 36%), McKinsey & Co. said.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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