# Hey There\! Unfortunately Walmart Doesn‘t Ship to Australia Directly in 2022 - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/does-walmart-deliver-to-australia/ - Published: 2023-10-20 - Author: Terry Williams - Categories: [Walmart](https://33rdsquare.com/category/consumer/walmart/) --- I know it can be tempting as an Australian shopper to want to get your hands on the crazy range of affordable products available from Walmart in the US. With over 265 million customers visiting Walmart‘s 10,500 stores and websites each week in America, they‘ve built themselves into quite the retail powerhouse! **So can you get Walmart deliveries sent all the way down under to Australia? Unfortunately, the quick answer is no.** Walmart does not currently offer international shipping options beyond the borders of the United States. But don‘t despair! That doesn’t mean you can’t still buy items from Walmart as an Australian. It just requires using a workaround approach to get your orders shipped internationally to you. In this guide I‘ll explain: - Why Walmart doesn‘t offer international delivery - How you can still get Walmart items shipped to Australia - Costs and services for package forwarding - Pros and cons of using a forwarder vs shopping local options - Alternatives to Walmart you can try as an Aussie shopper Let‘s dive in! ## Why Walmart Refuses to Ship Outside the US To understand why Walmart does not currently deliver items internationally to countries like Australia, you need to know some background on their business model and operations. Walmart opened its first store in 1962 and has since grown to become the **world‘s largest company by revenue** – generating over $570 billion USD annually! They achieved this by appealing to mainstream, budget-conscious American households with their **Every Day Low Price** guarantee across a huge range of merchandise. But because Walmart has built its entire retail empire around dominating the domestic US market, expanding internationally through direct shipping is not part of their game plan. Some of the key reasons Walmart only ships within the continental US include: ### Domestic-Focused Logistics Walmart has established one of the most advanced logistics networks in the world optimized for **serving stores and delivering to homes** across the US. They operate over 100 distribution centers, use predictive analytics to stock items just before they’re needed, and leveraged technology for innovations like grocery delivery and returns. But this supply chain has not been designed for international deliveries which would introduce all kinds of complexities. ### Challenges of International Shipping Shipping items cost-effectively to a country like Australia halfway around the world is not simple! Some of the difficulties and expenses involved include: - Navigating **customs procedures** in Australia - Paying **import duties and taxes** on foreign goods - Dealing with **unreliable international mail systems** - Accounting for **much longer transit times** from the US - Covering **higher carrier costs** for international air and sea freight ### Lack of Physical Stores Overseas Walmart currently operates over 10,000 retail stores but they are all located within the United States. The role of Walmart‘s online store is primarily to extend their accessibility to existing American in-store customers rather than serving overseas markets. ### Different International Business Environments Expanding internationally also introduces factors like: - Managing **foreign exchange rates** risk - Adapting business to account for **language barriers** - Understanding diverse **local country regulations** - Adjusting **marketing strategies** for new demographics The bottom line is Walmart has achieved success by optimizing itself for the US retail environment. Shipping overseas does not align with this strategic focus for now. But never say never! Just maybe one day we could see Walmart down under… ## How to Ship Walmart Orders From the USA to Australia Now that we understand why Walmart themselves don‘t deliver to Australia, what are your options as a savvy Aussie shopper determined to get your hands on those great Walmart deals? **Using an international parcel forwarding service is the solution!** Here is a step-by-step guide to ordering Walmart items online for delivery to Australia using a package forwarder: ### Choose a Forwarding Service There are a number of well-known courier and freight forwarding companies you can use: - **UPS** – Global logistics leader with a reliable Australia delivery network - **FedEx** – Major international shipping provider with a worldwide presence - **DHL** – Brand name in express shipping with extensive experience - **Planet Express** – Specialist forwarder with USA direct to Australia service I‘d recommend getting **quotes from a few different forwarders** to compare, as pricing varies significantly. Some charge monthly membership fees, others don‘t. Some are cheaper for heavy vs. lightweight parcels. Factor in speed of transit times as well – this depends on whether they ship via air or sea freight. ### Ship Your Order to Their US Warehouse Once you‘ve selected a forwarder, you‘ll be given a unique US shipping address to use when placing orders on Walmart.com. Make sure to follow the forwarding company‘s instructions exactly so they identify your parcel correctly on arrival. Walmart will ship your order to the forwarder‘s local warehouse thinking it is a domestic US shipment. ### Track Your Order for Peace of Mind Walmart will provide a tracking number when your order ships. Make sure to note this down! It allows you to monitor your parcel every step of the way as Walmart ships it domestically to your forwarder‘s warehouse. Once they receive it, the forwarder will then update the tracking when they dispatch your order on the international leg down under to Australia. ### Receive Delivery in Australia Finally, when your package arrives from the USA at your Aussie address, make sure someone is available for delivery, or be prepared to collect from a pick up location. Expect to show ID to claim your parcel, and inspect everything is intact before accepting. Then get busy unboxing all your fun Walmart goodies that made it Down Under! Just like you shopped on Walmart.com yourself as an American 🙂 ## Costs and Considerations of Forwarding Walmart Orders to Australia Using a parcel forwarding service gives you access to Walmart from Australia, but there are some costs and limitations to be aware of. ### Shipping Costs Add Up Be prepared to pay extra for international forwarding, on top of Walmart‘s domestic US shipping rates. Some example costs to ship a 2 lb / 1kg parcel from the US to Sydney are: | Company | Transit Time | Cost | | --- | --- | --- | | UPS | 4-6 days | $54 USD | | FedEx | 3-5 days | $64 USD | | DHL | 3-7 days | $47 USD | | Planet Express | 6-10 days | $32 USD | Bulkier or heavier Walmart purchases like homewares or electronics can cost $100 – $300+ to forward. ### Time in Transit is Longer Even the quickest air freight forwarders will take **3-6 days** minimum to get your order from the USA to your door in Australia. Some more budget-friendly sea freight options take **2-3 weeks**. Not ideal for impatient online shoppers! ### Reliability and Restrictions Using a 3rd party forwarding service also introduces more opportunities for: - Lost or delayed packages - Customs holds and inspections - Items damaged in transit - Restrictions on shipping certain items like liquids While unlikely, risks to be aware of when not using direct shipping. ### Comparison Shopping is Harder When using a forwarder, you‘ll have to research and pay for shipping **separately after** placing your Walmart order. This makes it harder to accurately compare total landed costs vs just buying locally. ## Weighing Up Using a Forwarder vs Shopping at Aussie Retailers At this point, you might be wondering whether going through the hassle of using a package forwarder is actually worth it compared to just shopping for similar items from Australian retailers. Let‘s compare the **pros and cons of each approach**: ### Using a Forwarder for Walmart Access **Pros** - Get unique items not available locally - Take advantage of Walmart‘s lower prices and sales - Exclusive online inventory not in Australian stores **Cons** - Additional shipping fees reduce cost savings - Slower transit times vs local delivery - Some unreliability and restrictions ### Shopping at Local Aussie Retailers Instead **Pros** - No international shipping fees - Fast local delivery, often same day - Easy returns if unsatisfied - Support Australian jobs and economy **Cons** - Limited range and availability compared to Walmart‘s scale - Often higher prices than US retail - Lacks excitement of cross-border online shopping At the end of the day, whether to use a forwarder comes down to a personal tradeoff between factors like cost, convenience and range. If you are on a tight budget or need something urgently, shopping local often makes more sense. But for thrill seeking bargain hunters, using a forwarder opens up more options. ## Alternatives to Walmart for Aussie Shoppers If trying out an international package forwarder sounds like too much trouble for you, here are some of the biggest retailers offering a local alternative to the Walmart experience: ### Kmart Kmart is currently Australia‘s largest retailer by store count, with over 215 locations nationally. They aim to provide families discount department store prices across categories like homewares, apparel, toys and more. **Pros** - Massive range across all categories - Rock bottom prices appealing to budget shoppers - Convenient locations across Australia **Cons** - Often chaotic in-store shopping environment - Focus on low cost can sacrifice quality - Limited specialty ranges compared to global retail ### Target Target positioned itself as a higher quality, trendier version of Kmart when launching in Australia. But today, they offer similar discounted prices across fashion, home, electronics, toys and everyday essentials. **Pros** - Well-presented stores with less chaos than Kmart - Fun, stylish private label clothing range - Omnichannel experience with online to match in-store **Cons** - Smaller store footprint than Kmart at around 280 stores - Prices not as aggressively low as other discounters ### Big W Big W is a discount department store owned by Woolworths, stocking everything from apparel to toys, electronics, groceries and more all under one roof. **Pros** - One stop shop convenience for variety of categories - Layby payment options available - Open late nights for after work shopping **Cons** - Only around 180 locations nationally - Produce quality perceptions are mixed ### Costco Costco is a membership-only warehouse club retailer focused on bulk quantities of groceries, electronics, homewares, toys, and more. **Pros** - Satisfaction of buying in bulk to save - Treasure hunt shopping experience - Great quality Kirkland private label range **Cons** - Paid membership model – $60 minimum per year - Bulk packs not suitable for all households - Only 13 warehouse locations across Australia While no local retailer can fully match the exact scale and range of Walmart in the USA, these major Aussie chains come the closest in their respective categories. ## The Bottom Line: Walmart Won‘t Ship Here But You‘ve Got Options! As an Australian shopper, I‘m sure you can see the appeal in Walmart‘s everyday low prices on their mindblowing retail range. But unfortunately their logistics and international business model just doesn‘t support direct shipping to Australia right now. The good news is that if you are set on tapping into Walmart from down under, using a parcel forwarding service means you technically still can! It will cost a bit extra in shipping fees and take longer in transit time, but packages can make it through. Just weigh up whether the extra effort is worth it for you vs the convenience of shopping at local Aussie retailers like Kmart, Target or Big W instead. Whichever option you choose – happy shopping! Wishing you success in tracking down those bargains, whether from Walmart in the US or your favourite local Aussie discount department store. So in summary: Yes, **Walmart does not ship to Australia** directly as of 2022 and likely won‘t anytime soon. But **you can still get Walmart orders delivered** internationally using parcel forwarding services (at an extra cost). Or opt to shop **local Australian retailers** like Kmart and Target for easier in-country convenience. Either way – you‘ve got options! --- Source: [Hey There\! Unfortunately Walmart Doesn‘t Ship to Australia Directly in 2022](https://33rdsquare.com/does-walmart-deliver-to-australia/)