Walmart wants to deliver right to your fridge
Walmart is taking its battle against online giant Amazon to the next level, piloting a service that will not only deliver groceries to a customer’s front door but have the driver carry them inside and load perishables right into the refrigerator.
The big box retailer announced the trial in a blog post last week noting that it’s being done in partnership with August Home, which makes the keyless locks that can be controlled with a smartphone that are crucial to the service.
In a test being conducted with some August Home customers in Silicon Valley, users can order products, including groceries, from Walmart.com.
A driver for delivery service Deliv will then be dispatched to drop off the order, and if the customer is not home, the driver will enter a one-time passcode into the house’s smart lock keypad. The driver will enter and leave the packages in the hallway. If the customer has ordered vegetables, steak or other items that need to be kept cold, the deliverer will store the groceries in the refrigerator or freezer.
The homeowner will get a message telling them when their packages have arrived. They can then view details about the delivery — from the time the driver enters until he/she walks back out the door — through the August Home app. They’ll even be notified that the front door has been locked once the driver takes off.
Walmart, the largest U.S. company by revenue, and Amazon, the online behemoth that has revolutionized e-commerce and forced many traditional stores to play catch-up, have been in a vigorous battle to win over shoppers with speed and convenience.
One of the biggest battlegrounds has been over delivery, where Amazon has had a distinct advantage. Fighting back, Walmart is offering discounts on online orders if customers will pick them up, as well as testing employee delivery of Walmart.com orders from a few stores.
The grocery part of delivery becomes even more important in the wake of Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market, which will give it a chance to expand its grocery delivery service through the premium grocer’s network of 468 supermarkets. Walmart has said it will extend its own delivery service to 1,100 locations by the end of this year.