Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) will help the most tardy shoppers in America as it allows them to pick up gifts in the final hours before Christmas. It gives the world’s largest retailer an advantage as the minutes tick off the clock at the very end of the holiday shopping season.

The arrangement requires some last-minute maneuvering by shoppers. The company announced:

With Christmas less than two weeks away, nearly 90 percent of customers still have some shopping to do, according to Walmart’s internal research. Walmart today unveiled its plans to serve last-minute shoppers with a free Christmas Eve Pickup commitment for eligible orders placed online by 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 23. The retailer also launched a new online destination for last-minute shoppers and released shipping cut-off dates.

“We’ve promised customers that we will be there for them the entire holiday season whether they are shopping for gifts or the everyday basics they count on us for,” said Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S. “We are making it easy for customers to find last-minute gifts in stores and online by ensuring we’re stocked with top items and offering Pickup through Dec. 24. December is also the biggest month for food and we are ready for grocery shoppers purchasing ingredients for all occasions – from everyday meals to Christmas dinner.”

The program shows one of the remaining advantages of its 3,504 supercenters.

Whether or not the plan is a huge hit, it becomes part of the arsenal Wal-Mart might use over the course of the entire year as same-day delivery becomes a critical part of the retail industry.

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