Dive Brief:

• Chico's FAS has become the first fashion client for Walmart's white-label delivery service, called Walmart GoLocal, amid consumers' rush to get their last-minute shopping done.
• Through Walmart GoLocal, e-commerce orders from the fashion company's three brands — Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma — can be delivered to customers in as quickly as two hours, according to a press release last week.
• The service launched in select locations on Dec. 16, including Chicago and Fort Myers, Florida, per the release. Chico's plans to expand the service to other markets next year.

Dive Insight:

The big-box retailer's business-to-business delivery service is gaining some high-profile clients, signaling its potential to be a top player in the space.

Inking a partnership with Walmart builds on the other fulfillment capabilities Chico's already has and expands its current ship-to-home feature for shoppers in select markets, per the release. Though multiple studies, including one from ICSC, suggest that the majority of consumers planned to shop early this year, Chico's may still be able to cash in on last-minute shoppers through the delivery service.

"Getting our customer what she wants, when she wants it, is another step in our 'digital first' customer centricity transformation," Molly Langenstein, CEO of Chico's, said in a statement.

Walmart GoLocal launched in August, and within two months, The Home Depot became its first customer. Select Home Depot products are eligible for GoLocal delivery, such as fasteners, paint and other tools that could easily fit in a car. Walmart-owned Sam's Club also offers the GoLocal service to its shoppers.

"The beauty of Walmart GoLocal is our ability to customize the service to businesses of all sizes and offerings and give shoppers time back, no matter what they're looking for," Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile at Walmart U.S., said in a statement.

Walmart in August said it launched and developed its delivery and express delivery service in just three years. It has also made investments and partnerships with drone service companies like DroneUp and Flytrex as well as autonomous vehicle startup Cruise. As of August, Walmart's fulfillment capabilities had reached almost 70% of the U.S. population, the company said.