Amazon's next move could reshape how America shops — all over again

Amazon is planning a massive multibillion-dollar expansion of its same-day delivery network, codenamed Project Mercury, designed to aggressively compete with Walmart's dominance in everyday retail and groceries. According to internal documents, Amazon plans to increase its specialized Same Day Fulfillment Centers from roughly 85 facilities today to more than 1,000 locations by 2031. The strategic goal is to place same-day fulfillment centers within a 10-mile radius of 80% of U.S. Prime subscribers, significantly reducing delivery times for roughly 90,000 high-frequency essential products. The three-year operating plan budgets $6.8 billion for U.S. same-day capacity across 2026 and 2027. An internal finance review projects that Project Mercury will generate $7.1 billion in economic value over a decade, turning cash-flow positive by 2030. These facilities are forecast to process 28% of Amazon's fulfilled package volume by 2029 and reach 50% by 2035. By dramatically narrowing the delivery gap against Walmart's physical store advantage, Amazon aims to capture greater market share in high-frequency everyday essentials.