Walmart’s digital platforms suffered a major outage across the United States on Tuesday, December 3, leaving thousands of customers unable to access the retailer’s website and mobile app. The disruption affected online shopping, delivery services and entertainment features, leading to frustration during a busy post-holiday shopping period.
According to outage-tracking website Downdetector, reports of problems surged throughout the day, with complaints more than doubling by late afternoon. At its peak, over 6,400 users reported issues.
Website and mobile app fail for thousands of users
Customers across the US reported that Walmart’s official website failed to load or displayed repeated error messages, the mobile app crashed shortly after opening. The outage extended beyond basic e-commerce functions. Grocery pickup scheduling, account access and checkout services were also affected, preventing shoppers from purchasing everyday essentials such as groceries, electronics and household items.
App issues dominate customer complaints
Data from Downdetector showed that the mobile app bore the brunt of the outage. Around 72 percent of affected users reported problems with the app, while roughly 25 percent experienced issues with the main website. Reports began early in the morning and continued to rise as customers across the country attempted to access post-holiday deals and essential services.
Walmart’s delivery operations were heavily impacted alongside its shopping platforms. According to Rolling out, the Spark Driver app, which manages deliveries for Walmart, experienced widespread disruptions, leaving drivers unable to accept new orders, confirm store arrivals or complete ongoing deliveries.
More than 3,000 delivery drivers across the United States reported issues by Tuesday afternoon, resulting in delayed or halted deliveries.
Streaming features also affected
Walmart’s integrated entertainment and streaming services were also disrupted during the outage. Users reported being unable to browse or select movies, TV shows or music through Walmart’s digital entertainment hub. The interruption highlighted the extent to which Walmart’s shopping, delivery and entertainment platforms are interconnected.
The timing of the outage added to customer frustration, as many shoppers were preparing for New Year’s Eve celebrations or attempting to take advantage of flash sales and post-holiday discounts. Families reported delays in ordering party supplies and last-minute essentials.