Marc Lore-led food startup opening store-in-store inside Walmart
The former head of e-commerce at Walmart is having a sort of reunion with the discounter via a new store-within-a-store partnership.
In an email to Chain Store Age, food startup Wonder said it is opening its 11th location, which is both its first in Pennsylvania and first inside a Walmart store or a big box retailer, at Walmart’s Quakertown, Penn. store on Wed., Feb. 21. It will operate seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Marc Lore, who is credited with transforming Walmart’s e-commerce operations and served as president and CEO of Walmart U.S. e-commerce from 2016 to January 2021, founded Wonder Group and committed himself full time to the business in December 2021.
In January 2023, Wonder abandoned its previous mobile food truck focus and pivoted to an operating strategy reminiscent of the ghost kitchen model, operating 10 kitchens around New Jersey and New York that offer delivery and in-location dining and pickup.
Wonder’s newest location will offer food from eight restaurants owned and operated by the company, including Limesalt, Yasas, Alanza Pizza, Tejas, Wing Trip, Burger Baby, Fred’s Meat & Bread, and Room for Dessert. Delivery radius will include five area ZIP codes. Everything is made-to-order at the Wonder storefront and delivered to customers by Wonder's own couriers in less than 30 minutes.
Total square footage of the Wonder Walmart location is 1,390 sq. ft., including 668-sq.-ft. front-of-house and 722-sq.-ft. back-of-house. Wonder also offers Wonder+, a paid membership program costing $7.99 per month. Wonder+ benefits include no delivery fees on all Wonder orders, Fast Pass expedited delivery and pickup and exclusive access to promotions, experiences and perks.
Wonder – a brief history
Initially, Wonder operated a fleet of trucks that delivered made-to-order meals ordered online through the Wonder app directly to the customer’s home.
Each truck was equipped with a mobile kitchen, with a chef completing the meal once the vehicle arrived at the customer’s home, and was dedicated to a particular menu, including those from top restaurants headed by celebrity chefs.
In November 2013, Wonder acquired meal kit provider Blue Apron for $103 million as a step on the way to the development of what Wonder says will be a “meal time super app.”