South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Walmart’s InHome Delivery fills fridges
Would you let Walmart into your house when you’re not there?
The world’s largest retailer is banking you will want its workers to let themselves in to fill your fridge with groceries with InHome Delivery.
The chain is testing the service in Vero Beach, Pittsburgh and Kansas City, according to a news release, and plans on rolling it out in more cities. This may seem novel, but Amazon also offers in-home delivery.
“We’re obsessed with simplifying grocery shopping and finding ways to make our customers’ lives easier,” says Bart Stein, a Walmart senior vice president in charge of the service. “That’s why InHome goes the extra step so that our customers can live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery.”
There must be very busy people in Vero.
Here’s how the program works: Customers pay $49.95 to have a smart device professionally installed so drivers can access your fridge in the kitchen or garage. Then, you pay $19.95 a month for unlimited $30 minimum delivery orders. (The first month is free.) Walmart delivery workers wear cameras that will allow customers to control access and watch deliveries remotely. The whole process live streams to smartphones, and you can watch videos on Walmart’s app for a week after delivery.
Walmart says the new service is a natural complement to its Grocery Pickup and new Delivery Unlimited options, which is free this month. This also allows the Bentonville, Ark., company to directly compete with Amazon, which last year started delivering goods inside homes and cars using the Amazon Key for Prime members who pay $119 a year. Walmart InHome delivery will cost significantly more at $239 a year and it’s just for food. Perhaps other items sold by the chain will be added to the service in the future.
The big question: Who the heck is going to let strangers into their homes using this service? Not me. I’ve been trained to be suspicious and expect the worst after years of covering all the wackadoodle news that happens in South Florida. Just think of the untold calamitous possibilities here in the “Stand Your Ground” state. Suppose you order groceries for delivery while at work and your husband comes home sick and then hears someone in the
house? What if you have a dog?
“Imagine coming home to fresh groceries delivered and loaded in your fridge,” goes a Walmart Tweet announcing the news. Imagine coming home to an empty house if the delivery people forget to lock the door.
Walmart says “Our InHome associates are some of the most reliable people we know.” The long-time employees undergo background checks and are insured up to $1 million for liability, as explained at InHome.Walmart.com. Call me old fashioned, but I’ll make time to put away my own groceries, thank you very much.
Wear PubSub love on your sleeve
Love Publix subs? Now you can proclaim it to the world as the grocer debuts a new line of stylin’ T-shirts, hoodies, pillows and other swag celebrating delights from the deli. These looks are straight out of the cold case.
The Lakeland-based grocer’s new Fresh Goods line of apparel features insanely cute sayings such as "Chicken Tender Sub, Sweet Tea & Sprinkle Cookie" with the Publix logo plastered on T-shirts and hoodies. Prices range from $9.99 to $24.95. Sizes for men and women run small to XXX-large. The also is a white #PubSub cotton shirt as well.
For the super saver in your life, there is a BOGO pillow that says "Just dreaming about Buy 1 Get 1" for 29.95. Take a big bite out of the colorful lounge pants with tiny little subs printed on them for $29.95. There also are T-shirts for $26.95 and socks in pink and gray for $12.95. Better hold the mayo. Finally, top off the look with a pair of green Publix slides, and stash your sandwich in a Publix Sub Sack fanny pack for $19.95.
Shop all the groovy green merch at Publix.com/FreshGoods. Shipping is free for purchases over $50. Christmas is coming!
Adult advent calendars
Get ready to party. The holidays are coming and so are Aldi’s wine, cheese and beer advent calendars.
This year, the chain is expanding the selection of these popular holiday items, with new versions featuring beers, toys and dog treats set to arrive in stores on Nov. 6, according to the Aldi Shop Differentli blog.
The wine calendar features 24 mini bottles of red, white, bubbly, sweet and dry wines from around the world for $69.99. Open one flap each day to find a new variety of wine in a 187-milliliter bottle. A Countdown to the New Year with sparkling wine arrives in stores Dec. 4.
The new Cheers and Beer advent calendar will have two dozen 11.2-ounce individual bottles of imported beer, including seven exclusive varieties. It costs $49.99.
The Emporium Selection cheese calendar has 24 snacksized European cheeses such as Edam and Gouda and pairs perfectly with the wine calendar. Last year, they were $14.99.
The chain also will carry traditional chocolate advent calendars for $1.39 to $7.99, plus toy calendars for kids that will feature Disney books, Barbie, Toy Story 4, Paw Patrol, Hot Wheels and Cars. Prices range from $9.99 to $19.99. There also will be a new dog-treat calendar that pet parents will love sharing with their fur babies for $5.89.
This year, Advent begins on Dec. 1 and runs through Christmas Eve. Advent calendars have small numbered flaps, one of which is opened on each day to reveal a picture or treat. The popular seasonal items go fast and won’t be restocked, Aldi said.
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