Third-party delivery platforms have a new rival, but it’s not some bold startup plotting a David-vs.-Goliath upset.
It’s Walmart, the world’s largest retailer—yet another corporate giant. And it has just stepped into the pizza delivery game.
With a major pizza chain already on board, it could change everything.
Papa Johns announced that customers will soon be able to order its pizza through Walmart’s online shopping app, either alone or bundled with their groceries and household goods. The service begins in selected markets this fall.
Walmart also recently began offering delivery for Dunkin’ products through its Walmart Express Delivery program, which includes Subway products as well.
Hongseok Jang, an assistant professor of management science at Tulane University, told CNBC earlier this month that Walmart seems to be “testing its own delivery system to see if they can handle it, and if it is successful there will be a big competition between Walmart and Uber Eats and DoorDash.”
As Papa Johns noted in an article on its website, the deal “marks a new milestone for Walmart’s growing restaurant delivery offering, as Papa Johns will be the first national restaurant brand available through Walmart Express Delivery that is fulfilled entirely from restaurant locations outside Walmart stores.”
“Customers shop at Walmart because they can find what they want and need in one place,” said Greg Cathey, Walmart’s senior vice president for eCommerce fulfillment innovation. “Adding Papa Johns brings even more variety and convenience to that experience, giving customers the option to order a favorite like pizza alongside the everyday items they already count on Walmart for.”
Ordering Papa Johns will be built directly into the online Walmart shopping experience. Eligible customers will automatically see Papa Johns in the dedicated Restaurants tab within the Walmart app. They can choose pizzas, wings, sandwiches and other items from the regular Papa Johns menu, then bundle them with items from Walmart itself.
Alternatively, customers can order Papa Johns on its own without bundling in groceries or anything else from the Walmart store.
Papa Johns’ executive leadership flirted with the notion of a sale to various suitors who put offers on the table earlier this year but ultimately decided to stick with its own plans for a “transformation.” In the brand’s most recent earnings call, CEO Todd Penegor said Papa Johns still faces challenges with “the softer consumer backdrop and highly promotional QSR environment.” He added, “While our focus is unrelenting, our transformation is taking longer than expected. We know that we must execute better and move faster.”
Without mentioning Walmart in that call, Penegor pointed to “a meaningful opportunity to accelerate trial through a more focused aggregator strategy. These platforms continue to play an important role in introducing new customers to the brand, and we believe there is an opportunity to improve both our visibility and effectiveness.
“To do so, we’re optimizing our promotional approach, featuring a mix of value-driven offers and signature products while also refining our allocation of national and local third-party marketing spend to maximize returns. As we broaden our reach through aggregators, we’re also taking steps to increase brand awareness and drive consideration at a larger scale.”
Bundling dinner with a grocery order potentially creates a somewhat different pizza occasion—customers may not be contemplating ordering from Papa Johns until Walmart puts the possibility in front of them. For Papa Johns, this is particularly relevant because its third-party delivery transactions were down in the low single digits during the second quarter of 2026.
Now the big question will be whether Walmart will offer Papa Johns franchisees better economics and/or customer reach compared to DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Other questions that remain to be answered:
- Will Papa Johns have access to customer data from orders placed through the Walmart app?
- Who will handle refunds, delays and order mistakes?
- Will Walmart’s Spark drivers—the company that provides delivery for the retailer—pick up the pizzas directly from Papa Johns locations?
