Mexico City - Walmart stores in Mexico now provide delivery within three hours for certain home and tech products ordered online, according to a report published by Reuters.

The new service, called 'On Demand,' offers approximately 12,000 products, among them laptops, cell phones, televisions and small appliances, delivered within three hours. Customers also have the option of picking up items ordered online at 277 Walmart locations in Mexico.

This year, the mega-retailer has opened two distribution centers dedicated to ecommerce in Mexico, its largest foreign market by store count, in its bid to keep pace with Amazon. The Seattle-based online giant, which launched in Mexico in 2015, already offers same-day delivery within Mexico City for certain items.

"At Walmart de México, we will continue to reinvent the rules of retail, since we are convinced that combining the best of the digital world with physical stores will generate great benefits for our customers," Gabriela Buenrostro, deputy director of corporate communication at the Mexico City-based division, said in a statement. "With 'On Demand,' we can be closer to Mexican families, delivering the merchandise they need much faster."

Walmart operates more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide.

Sources: Reuters • Progressive Grocer