Walmart Gives Shoppers A New Reason To Visit Stores

A trip to Walmart can easily become more than a grocery run.

Shoppers who walk in for groceries and household products may end up picking prescriptions, school supplies, apparel, or an online order.

And for Walmart, this one-stop shopping is not just convenient for its customers but also its biggest competitive advantage.

The more needs Walmart can serve on a single trip, the more useful its stores become. 

Now, the company is leaning further into that strategy with Dunkin’.

Walmart reaches 150 Dunkin’ locations inside stores

Walmart announced on June 18 that it has reached 150 Dunkin’ restaurants inside Walmart stores. 

This milestone location is now open at the Walmart store in Oakwood, Georgia, at 3875 Mundy Mill Road.

The new restaurant will be operated by Dunkin’ franchisee Everyday Coffee, led by Christopher Mellgren.

At first glance, the announcement looks like another in-store restaurant opening, but the timing gives it more weight.

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Walmart is pushing deeper into faster delivery, store remodels, marketplace growth, private brands, and in-store services. 

Adding more Dunkin’ locations fits into that broader effort to make its stores more convenient and harder for shoppers to replace.

“What began as Dunkin’ franchisees ringing bold beverages and breakfast to Walmart stores has grown into one of retail’s most energizing relationships,” notes the company announcement.

Walmart said the Dunkin’ expansion gives shoppers another way to get more done in one trip.

“Customers love coming to Walmart to get more done in one trip,” said Kieran Shanahan, executive VP and Chief Operating Officer for Walmart US.

Further adding, “Dunkin’ gives them another way to do that, whether it’s coffee before work, a quick bite between errands or a treat while doing the weekly shopping.”

That is the key phrase behind the move.

A shopper who comes in for groceries may also grab coffee. A parent running errands may pick up breakfast. A worker may stop before a shift. A customer collecting an online order may add a drink or snack before leaving the store.

Those are small transactions, but they can make the store visit feel more useful.

Dunkin’ also gives Walmart a recognizable brand in a category built around habit. For many consumers, coffee is not a one-time purchase. It is part of a routine.

That makes the partnership different. Walmart is not just filling empty store space, but is adding a daily-use brand that can help turn errands into repeat trips.

Dunkin’ already has significant scale. The company says it has more than 14,200 restaurants across nearly 40 global markets. 

But Walmart gives Dunkin’ access to shoppers who are already inside one of the country’s busiest retail networks.

For Walmart, the benefit is also clear: more reasons for customers to keep choosing its stores.

Walmart ties restaurants to speed and convenience

The Dunkin’ milestone also comes shortly after Walmart expanded its restaurant strategy on the delivery side.

Earlier in June, Walmart began offering Subway meals through Walmart Express Delivery in select markets. 

Customers can order Subway through the Walmart app or Walmart.com and have the meal delivered in as little as 30 minutes, either alone or with groceries and household items.

The Subway rollout is expected to expand to about 1,400 locations by the end of the summer.

This shows Walmart is not only thinking about restaurants as physical store tenants. It is also thinking about them as part of its digital ecosystem.

In other words, Walmart wants to combine grocery items, household essentials, and prepared food into a single order.

That puts Walmart closer to the everyday convenience space served by delivery apps, coffee chains, and quick-service restaurants. 

The company already has store density, pickup infrastructure, and a growing delivery business. Adding restaurant options gives it another way to increase the number of customer occasions it can serve.

TheStreet previously covered Walmart’s push to offer delivery in 30 minutes or less in 33 markets. 

The Dunkin’ and Subway moves build on the same idea: shoppers want speed, and Walmart wants to be the place that can deliver or provide more of what they need without an extra stop.

Bank of America sees Walmart using speed to gain share

Wall Street has also been closely watching Walmart’s convenience push.

In an earlier note, shared with TheStreet, Bank of America analyst Christopher Nardone said Walmart’s current backdrop is favorable for the company to gain share by leading with price and delivery speed.

BofA noted that Walmart has been able to invest in price while benefiting from higher-margin businesses such as advertising and membership. 

The firm also pointed to Walmart’s 30-minute delivery rollout and said Walmart was already delivering 26% of Express Delivery orders within that timeframe.

This makes the Dunkin’ milestone more important.

It is not just about coffee. It is about Walmart building a broader value-and-convenience system around the store.

BofA reiterated a Buy rating on Walmart and set a $144 price target. 

The firm’s bullish view is partly based on Walmart’s ability to continue gaining market share, improve delivery speeds, and grow operating income faster than sales.

And despite a weaker global retail environment and competitive pressure from Sam’s Club and Walmart International, Walmart is continually pressing to diversify its revenue streams.

The company’s need to keep finding new ways to make each store, app visit, and delivery order more valuable is further helped by Dunkin’, despite the step not being as big as a major remodel or entering a new market.

Coffee becomes part of the retail battle

Walmart is not alone in treating coffee as a retail traffic tool.

Target has long used Starbucks cafés as part of its store experience and later expanded the partnership to include Drive Up orders. 

That allowed Target shoppers to add Starbucks food and drinks to curbside pickup in eligible stores.

Walmart’s Dunkin’ partnership serves a similar purpose, but with a different brand and customer base. 

Dunkin’ is known for fast coffee, breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and everyday value. That makes it a practical fit for Walmart’s shoppers, especially in stores where customers are already focused on saving time and money.

The move also comes as Walmart continues to invest in its physical stores. 

The company has said it plans more than 650 remodels of Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets, along with about 20 new store openings scheduled for 2026 and early 2027.

Those remodels include wider aisles, updated layouts, expanded pickup and delivery services, refreshed interiors, upgraded pharmacies, and new digital touchpoints.

Walmart wants its locations to be more than places to buy groceries and household goods. It wants them to be faster, easier, and more useful hubs for everyday life.

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