In this episode, I’m chatting with Nav Chadha, Vice President of the Spark Driver platform. Spark Driver is Walmart’s proprietary delivery network, and in this episode, we’ll chat about how Spark Driver came to be, challenges and opportunities, Walmart’s Go Local program, and much more.
Intro to Nav Chadha
- Vice President of the Spark Driver platform
- Joined Walmart in 2017 as a founding member of the last mile team
- Spark Driver is Walmart’s largest local delivery service provider
- Prior to Walmart, Nav ran a startup in India that provided last-mile delivery as a service to startups and small businesses
Spark Driver
- E-commerce is a large driver for Walmart as a whole
- Realized customers wanted things delivered to their house, same day
- Last mile delivery is ~15 miles (delivery range)
- Key is giving reliable service first, second is fast service
Becoming a Spark Driver
- Flexibility, convenience and reliability of work
- Many drivers do it in between other gigs or family priorities
- Competitive earnings and wide availability (regularly adding new cities)
- Curbside delivery, shop and deliver, etc. – variety of opportunities
Why Delivering with Spark Driver is a Great Option for Small Market Drivers
- Story of Walmart Spark is similar to the story of Walmart
- Plenty of opportunities for drivers in smaller markets, suburbs, etc.
- In some communities, Spark Driver is the only way to make a gig income
What’s Next for Spark Driver?
- New opportunities for customers and drivers
- Optimizing convenience
- Incorporating driver feedback
- White label service – Go Local
