You’d be hard-pressed to find an American who doesn’t know Walmart’s iconic blue and yellow branding. However, one delivery driver says he stumbled upon a Walmart location that had no signage. Why? He says it’s a location for Spark drivers only.
What is a Spark driver?
A Spark driver is a contractor who makes grocery deliveries using the Spark Driver app. According to Indeed, “The Spark Driver app is Walmart’s proprietary delivery platform that provides opportunities for gig drivers in all 50 states to make deliveries for Walmart and other retailers.”
Drivers can choose when, where, and how frequently they do deliveries.
Does Walmart have a store specifically for Spark drivers?
Well, there’s some confusion around this. There were no official statements made online that Walmart has stores exclusive to Spark drivers. At first, it was unclear whether the location the Spark driver stumbled upon was open to all customers or whether there had been no public announcements that there was a Spark-exclusive store. The former seemed more likely, as the opening of a Spark-exclusive store would probably have made headlines on Walmart’s corporate website or elsewhere.
However, after watching the video again, we were able to locate it. The store appears to be located at 13739 N. Central Expressway in Dallas, Texas. According to FreightWaves, the store was converted into a Market Fulfillment Center (MFC) in the spring of 2022.
Walmart spokesman Charles Crowson told FreightWaves, “It is going to be a market fulfillment center. That means customers can place their online orders, grocery pickup, product pickup, general merchandise, all those things.” They could then go to the store to pick up their orders, but there would be no in-person shopping.
The location is one of three MFCs in the nation and the first in Texas.
However, according to a Reddit post, “The store was converted into an MFC but is now a store for only Spark drivers.”
Additionally, there are some non-MFC Walmart stores where Spark drivers have exclusive benefits. Business Insider reports that in some locations, self-checkout is limited to Spark drivers and Walmart+ members.
What is this strange Walmart location like?
In a viral TikTok, Elephant Foodzzz (@elephant.foodzzz) takes viewers through the store. While The Mary Sue was unable to confirm the existence of a Spark-only store, the driver begins his video by saying, “Got a Spark-only Walmart, bro.”
He notes the lack of signage on the store but emphasizes that he knows it’s a Walmart because there’s a Walmart gas station nearby. As he walks toward the entrance, the doors are covered in opaque blue film that reads, “Spark Driver Entrance.”
He walks in and grabs a cart, then walks through another set of automatic double doors. Upon entering, he’s surprised to see rows of coolers at the entrance of the store. “I’ve never seen this before,” he says. “It’s like a big gas station.”
Opposite the coolers are shelves of unrefrigerated items, including sodas, produce, pet food, vacuums, and a TV.
After he grabs the customer’s $34 order—two packs of raw chicken, two heads of cabbage or lettuce, a gallon of milk, and an item that appears to be a smaller dairy product—he heads to the self-checkout. “That is it, man,” he says as he walks out of the store. He then notes, “You get brown [paper] bags over here.”
Before the video ends, he adds that the store is “the best one. Shout out to Walmart Spark, darling!”
Commenters love the store
In the comments section, viewers expressed how much better the shopping experience would be if more Walmart stores were like the Spark store.
One wrote, “A store with no people? Deal.”
A second said, “Id prefer stores like this. less flash, less advertising, just the products on the shelf.”
A third joked, “Note to self. become spark driver, but only pickup my own order.”
@elephant.foodzzz Spark driver #funnyvideos ♬ original sound – Elephant Foodzzz
Not everyone’s on board, though
Some said the store was pointing to a scary future.
“How long before theft makes all Walmarts, targets, etc into just deliver and pickup orders? so scary,” one viewer questioned.
A second said, “We are fastly moving into a dystopian and people don’t see it.”
“This will be the future,” another wrote. “Sooner than we realize we wont be allowed in stores only shoppers.”
The Mary Sue contacted the TikToker via comment and direct message. It contacted Walmart via contact form.
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