Walmart to expand in home delivery
Retailer to hire more than 3,000 associate delivery drivers, establish all-electric fleet of delivery vehicles
It’s a new year and Walmart is resolving to bring the convenience of InHome delivery to even more customers in 2022.
Today, the retailer is announcing plans to scale the service, going from InHome being available to 6 million households to making it accessible to 30 million U.S. households by the end of the year. To support the expansion, Walmart plans to hire more than 3,000 associate delivery drivers this year as well as build out a fleet of 100% all-electric delivery vans.
“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 U.S. “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.”
Launched in 2019, Walmart’s InHome delivery service is designed to give time back to families by using highly-trained associates to deliver fresh groceries, everyday essentials and more directly into customers’ homes, including placing items straight into their kitchen or garage refrigerator, as well as picking up Walmart.com returns. Here’s how it works:
- Order: Once signed up for InHome, a customer places their order on the Walmart App and selects InHome as their preferred delivery option.
- Deliver: A highly-trained InHome associate completes the delivery. Upon arriving at the customer’s home, the associate uses a one-time access code to unlock the customer’s door or garage through their InHome app, which pairs with smart entry technology. The 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.
- Enjoy: The customer can rest easy knowing associates took the appropriate safety measures, including wearing a mask, sanitizing surfaces and locking up, leaving the perfect finishing touches.
Walmart’s InHome Delivery service is $19.95 per month or $148 per year, with no additional fees, including tips, which are built into the membership price. Customers can extend one-time access to their InHome associate using an existing smart lock, a garage keypad, or by purchasing a new smart lock from InHome for $49.95.
To support the rapidly growing service, this year Walmart plans to hire more than 3,000 InHome associate delivery drivers and equip them with a fleet of 100% all-electric delivery vans. Not only does the implementation of electric vehicles (EV) support the retailer’s goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040, but it is also supported by Walmart’s growing infrastructure of 1,396 EV charging stations at stores and clubs across 41 states.
The role of associate delivery driver is a new, up and coming full-time position in Walmart stores that is focused on employing highly-qualified associates who are interested in serving customers beyond the store and in the community. InHome drivers are employed by Walmart and receive an extra $1.50/hour from most current store roles, a pay differential designed to attract top talent. Associates 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, with Walmart paying for 100% of tuition and books through its Live Better U program.
Walmart will fill these roles by promoting its own associates from within, building on a track record that saw more than 300,000 associates promoted to roles of more responsibility and higher pay in fiscal year 2021. InHome drivers receive in-depth training conducted both in-person and using virtual reality, further enabling them to build their skillset around using innovative tools and technology to manage the delivery process.
“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 U.S. “Expanding our number of InHome associates is a testament to the trust and confidence we have in them and their continuous commitment to delight our customers. There’s a path for everyone to build a career here at Walmart, and this position is further proof of that.”
InHome delivery is the newest delivery option to be scaled to Walmart customers and is an important part of the retailer’s last-mile delivery strategy, which includes creating a low-cost last-mile delivery network focused on density, speed and sustainability. Walmart also offers delivery and Express delivery on 160,000+ items from more than 3,400 Walmart stores, reaching 70% of the U.S. population. Additionally, the retailer leads the industry in the trialing of sustainable and innovative delivery solutions, like drones and self-driving cars. More recently, Walmart began commercializing its nationwide delivery capabilities through Walmart GoLocal, a white-label delivery as a service business focused on providing third-party retailers and brands an affordable local delivery solution.
