Walmart Canada partners delivery-only restaurant Ghost Kitchen Brands as US unit expands express delivery service

CANADA –  Delivery-only restaurant Ghost Kitchen Brands has partnered with Walmart Canada to bring one-stop meal pickup and delivery service to more Canadians.

As a result of the partnership, Ghost Kitchen at Walmart is now open in the St. Catharines Walmart with additional locations in Woodstock, Toronto, Lachenaie and Saint-Constant to open in the coming months.

With the partnership customers can order freshly prepared meals in-store and online for contactless pickup or delivery (from a third-party app such as Uber Eats).

They can also mix and match from more than 20 well-known brands including Quiznos, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, Pepe’s Perogies, Rocky’s Italian, and the  Canadian Jerk, among others.

“Walmart Canada is a perfect strategic partner for us as we continue to innovate and reinvent the restaurant industry with our unique restaurant concept,” said George Kottas, Founder and CEO of GKB.

“We are both one-stop shops and we recognize the value in affordable, convenient solutions for our customers.”

The pandemic has helped Ghost Kitchen Brands expand as Canadian consumers look for seamless integration of restaurant offerings, frictionless experiences, as well as the comfort of well-known restaurant and consumer goods brands combined.

The company’s lean operations and leading-edge technologies allow it to operate dozens of international brands under one banner.

“We believe in Ghost Kitchen’s strategy and vision and we’re very excited to be the first retailer to team up with Ghost Kitchens,” said Sam Hamam, Senior Director of Licensees at Walmart Canada.

“We’re always looking at ways to improve our customer shopping experience with greater access to affordable products, services, and brands.”

Marc Choy, President of GKB said that the restaurant has a goal to open a Ghost Kitchen every 12 km across Canada and be able to reach every Canadian in every urban market within 30 minutes.

 Walmart US Drops US$35 Minimum order requirement  for Express Delivery

Meanwhile, in the US, the retail giant has removed the US$35 minimum order requirement for Express delivery to allow for more customers to benefit from the service.

“Customers told us sometimes the items they needed in a hurry didn’t meet the minimum, so we’re removing it, making it even easier for customers to get what they need when they need it,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president of customer product.

Like Walmart’s pickup and delivery service, there is no markup on items – an item is priced the same as it is on the shelf.

Express delivery costs US$10 on top of the existing delivery charge. Walmart+ members simply pay the $10 Express fee.

Express delivery is currently offered in nearly 3,000 Walmart stores, reaching nearly 70% of the U.S. population.

The us retail giant however noted that other services including Free curbside pickup, Delivery, and Free Delivery with Walmart+ will continue to carry a US$35 minimum.

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