Walmart launches personal shopping text service

Walmart Store No. 8 JetblackWalmart has launched a $50-a-month members-only, personal shopping service that enables customers to order items via text message.

The service, known as Jetblack, uses a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and expertise from professional buyers to deal with shopping requests at any time of the day with delivery arriving either the same day or next day for no additional charge.

Some everyday items will be sourced from Walmart and its Jet.com subsidiary, while other items and speciality products will instead come from local brands and shops.

Jetblack is the first offering to come out of Walmart’s Store No. 8 tech incubator. It will be led by co-founder of Rent the Runway Jennifer Fleiss who, having joined Walmart just over a year ago, will serve as JetBlack’s co-founder and CEO.

The service has launched in limited release to customers in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn with plans to eventually roll out to other markets.

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