Walmart patrons could soon order their groceries online and have the items delivered right at their doorsteps. The popular American hypermarkets chain recently announced a partnership with ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft to provide customers with hassle-free grocery shopping.
Getting Ready For Test Runs
In a blog post published on Walmart Today, the company's chief e-commerce officer Michael Bender said test runs are expected to start later this month. Walmart branches in Phoenix will be utilizing Uber while those in Denver will conduct the trials via Lyft.
"We're thrilled about the possibility of delivering new convenient options to our customers, and about working with some transformative companies in this test," Bender wrote. "We'll start small and let our customers guide us, but testing new things like last-mile delivery allows us to better evaluate the various ways we can best serve our customers."
How It Works
BBC reported that a customer in one of the test branches will take a grocery order online and indicate when he or she expects the delivery to arrive. A Walmart employee will then pick out the items manually before requesting a driver from Uber or Lyft to transport the items to the customer's location. The service will set customers back $7 to $10, depending on distance and the quantity of the order.
New And Improved Stores
In other Walmart-related news, the retail giant is revamping select branches to drive more traffic and to offer customers with an engaging orderly shopping experience. Select Walmart branches in the US now have entire walls devoted to organic produce and a selection of 50 gourmet cheeses. Fruits and vegetables are also displayed more attractively to make them more visually-enticing to customers.
According to USA Today, Walmart hopes the upgrade will increase its sales and steal back grocery shoppers from mid-tier retail chains such as Aldi, Kroger, Wegmans and Safeway. Walmart also sees the strategy as a way of combatting the growing popularity of online shopping.
