Walmart opens two new online fulfillment centers

In addition to these new and existing facilities dedicated to online orders, Walmart is uniquely positioned to ship online orders from stores and many of its more than 130 distribution centers, all leveraging its world-class transportation network.

The new online facilities extend Walmart’s anytime, anywhere experience that lets customers shop seamlessly across online, mobile and stores.

“With our dedicated online facilities and 4,100 stores within five miles of two-thirds of the U.S. population, we gain a significant advantage by being positioned in the most important location – close to our customers,” said Joel Anderson, president and CEO of Walmart.com.  “This unique combination allows us to get more products to our customers faster and at a lower cost.”

The new center based in Fort Worth, Texas, is 800,000 sq. ft. and will have 275 full-time positions.  It began shipping orders last week.  The Bethlehem, Pa. operation will be more than one million sq. ft. and will ultimately employ more than 350 full-time associates. It is scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year. Combined, the new operations will house hundreds of thousands of items ranging from electronics, to toys, apparel, fitness equipment, sporting goods and more.

"I want to thank and congratulate Walmart on its decision to expand operations in Texas," Governor Rick Perry said. "The decision to locate this new center and help create nearly 300 new jobs in the Metroplex is good business for Walmart, good business for Texas, and it serves as further proof our state's economy is booming and will continue to grow."

"Walmart's announcement represents more than 350 good, well-paying jobs for people of the Lehigh Valley and we congratulate them on their choice of Pennsylvania for this critical expansion," said Governor Tom Corbett.  "As Walmart moves forward with expansion of its e-commerce business we will be a partner in ensuring Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley remain a continued part of that growth."

New Centers Support Online Growth and Expanded Product Selection on Walmart.com

This holiday season customers will have access to more than five million products on Walmart.com, which is over twice as many as last year, including its own items and items offered through marketplace sellers on the site. 

The company expects that number to reach the tens of millions in the coming years.  Walmart expects sales from its e-commerce business to exceed $10 billion globally this fiscal year, and announced global growth of 30 percent in the quarter ended July 31. In addition to the U.S., Walmart Global eCommerce sales come primarily from Brazil, China, and the UK.