← Latest news 
Walmart and Amazon push faster deliveries into rural America aiming to capture a trillion dollar market
International
Published on 16 May 2026
Same day delivery uptake doubled for Amazon customers
Walmart and Amazon are accelerating online deliveries in rural U.S. areas long deemed too sparse and unprofitable, using store coverage and newly built micro-fulfillment hubs to overcome distance and road challenges. Morgan Stanley estimates the opportunity could reach up to $1 trillion annually. Remote work and rural economic gains are swelling demand, with Amazon investing $4 billion in same-day or next-day delivery across 4,000 smaller towns last year. Walmart also leans on its footprint, with 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a store.
- Morgan Stanley estimates rural delivery-driven retail could be worth up to $1 trillion yearly
- About 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store, aiding rural reach
- Amazon invested $4 billion to enable same-day or next-day delivery in 4,000 smaller communities
- Amazon says its same-day delivery customer count doubled in 2025 versus the prior year
- Rural median household income rose 43% from 2010 to 2022 to nearly $60,000 annually
- Some carriers like FedEx, UPS and USPS are scaling back rural delivery to manage costs
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times