US retail giant Walmart has announced plans to test a new home-delivery service that brings groceries straight into customers' fridges, as it looks to expand its online offering to compete with Amazon.
In partnership with August Home, which provides smart locks and home accessories, the service aims to deliver and unpack groceries, even when the customer is not at home.
Customers place their grocery orders on Walmart's website, and the goods are later delivered to their homes. If the customer is not there, the delivery driver will have a one-time pass code that can be used to open the front door and bring the groceries inside.
The customer will then receive a notification on their smartphone, and s/he can watch the delivery take place via home-security cameras through the August Home app.
Testing Phase
Walmart says that it is currently running a test in Silicon Valley, with a small group of August Home customers.
"These tests are a natural evolution of what Walmart is all about – an obsession in saving our customers not just money, but also time, making our customers’ lives easier in the process," said Sloan Eddleston, vice-president of Walmart's e-commerce strategy and business operations.
"What might seem novel today could be the standard tomorrow. This may not be for everyone – and certainly not right away – but we want to offer customers the opportunity to participate in tests today and help us shape what commerce will look like in the future," Eddleston said.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
