Walmart expands in-home delivery as part of retailer's last-mile delivery strategy

06-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 06-Jan-2022 at 16:59 GMT

Photo Credit: Walmart

Walmart is scaling up the availability of its InHome delivery service from 6 million to 30 million US households by the end of 2022 in response to the large swath of online shoppers who prefer the convenience of the service without having to be present at home to receive their grocery orders.

Walmart launched its InHome delivery service in 2019 as a way to save customers time by having their fresh groceries and everyday essentials delivered directly to their homes -- including placing items straight into their kitchen or garage refrigerator, as well as picking up Walmart.com returns as part of the InHome service.

Walmart trialed a number of delivery solutions (e.g. drones and self-driving cars) in recent years, and its InHome service is the newest option to be scaled to more Walmart customers as part of the retailer’s last-mile delivery strategy, focused on creating a low-cost, last-mile delivery network oriented to density, speed and sustainability.

Walmart currently offers delivery and Express delivery on 160,000+ items from more than 3,400 Walmart stores, reaching 70% of the US population.

“We’ve been operating InHome in select markets over the last two years and have found it is a perfect solution for customers who want to live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, last mile at Walmart US.

“Identifying ways to help our customers save time and money is our purpose, and nothing showcases that better than InHome delivery, which is why we’re excited to bring the convenience of InHome to even more customers in 2022.”

How does it work?

Once signed up for InHome ($19.95 per month or $148 per year), customers place their order online, selecting 'InHome' as their preferred delivery option. A trained InHome Walmart associate then uses a one-time access code to unlock the customers' door or garage through their InHome app, which pairs with smart entry technology. Associates take appropriate safety measures, including wearing a mask, sanitizing surfaces and locking up before completing the home delivery.

For added security for customers, the InHome app notifies the customer at every step and a camera, worn on the associates’ vest, records the entire delivery, which customers have access to from their phones for up to a week after each delivery.

To support the expansion of the rapidly growing service, Walmart plans to hire more than 3,000 InHome associate delivery drivers and equip them with 100% all-electric delivery vans, which coincides with the retailer's goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040.

Walmart added that it's in search of "highly-qualified associates who are interested in serving customers beyond the store and in the community." InHome drivers receive roughly $1.50 more per hour than most current store roles and qualify for the retailer’s total rewards and benefits plans, including medical, vision and dental insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, no-cost counseling and access to a free college degree.

“This new role is yet another example of how technology is enabling us to offer new career opportunities that just didn’t exist a few years ago,” said Julie Murphy, executive vice president and chief people officer, Walmart US.