Walmart Unveils InHome Grocery Delivery

With an offering that brings groceries right to the refrigerators of consumers, Walmart is rolling out a new grocery delivery service. InHome grocery delivery comes at an introductory price of $19.95 a month, and shoppers have to purchase a $49.95 smart garage door or lock kit that includes free installation and a month of free unlimited delivery of groceries, CNBC reported.

With a rollout in Pittsburg; Vero Beach, Fla; and Kansas City, the pilot program was first announced in June at the company’s shareholders meeting. The retailer reportedly has the hope of bringing it nationwide, but, according to the outlet, Walmart wouldn’t indicate which cities it is looking at as possible test markets in the event the rollout is successful.

Walmart Senior Vice President of Membership and InHome Bart Stein said, according to the outlet, “It’s a service we plan to grow and scale aggressively.” Stein also noted that the three cities represent many “factors across demographics, stores and more operationally that set us up the best and quickest to scale nationwide.”

With the service, customers will visit a website to enter the addresses of their homes for eligibility. They can then choose a garage or kitchen fridge delivery along with corresponding smart lock devices as well as installation once they are eligible. Next-day grocery service can then start after the installation of the lock.

Walmart is requiring that employees who do the deliveries have a year of service as a minimum with the company along with motor vehicle record checks, background checks and extensive training. The smart lock operates with technology that creates a one-time access code for the delivery.

In separate news from earlier in the year, Walmart was making the latest entry into the grocery delivery wars with its latest “Delivery Unlimited” subscription offering. Reports also noted it would let shoppers pay a yearly fee of $98 per year or a monthly fee of $12.95 for a subscription that will allow them to shop through the web and have their groceries delivered as often as they desire.