Walmart to Test Grocery Delivery to Smart Home Lockers

by Chris Albrecht, The Spoon

January 12, 2021

Walmart announced today that it will start testing grocery delivery to smart lockers that sit outside a person’s home. The pilot program will begin this Spring in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The smart lockers are built by Home Valet and feature three temperature zones (frozen, refrigerated and fresh). When a grocery delivery order is placed with Walmart, the delivery driver unlocks the box with a smart device, and places the groceries inside. Customers unlock the box when they return home and retrieve their items.

This smart locker approach could actually benefit Walmart shoppers in a few ways. First, customers get more flexibility because they don’t need to be/stay at home when their delivery is scheduled. Second, it secures groceries away from the elements and potential porch thieves. And finally, this delivery method is contactless, which will continue to be important even after the pandemic recedes. (Bonus benefit: Dropping off groceries to a box outside your house is a lot less creepy than Walmart’s idea of having a delivery driver enter your house when you aren’t there.)

But the smart locker is just the latest aggressive move by Walmart to make its delivery more convenient as it dukes it out with other retailers like Amazon and Kroger for your grocery dollar. In addition to launching its Walmart+ delivery service last year, Walmart is also testing grocery delivery via drones and autonomous vehicles.

Walmart can’t afford to rest on its laurels...

more, including links

https://thespoon.tech/walmart-to-test-grocery-delivery-to-smart-home-lockers/