Wal-Mart Testing Delivery Service That Will Bring Items Into Your Home
Wal-Mart announced it will try out a new delivery service that will not only deliver items to customers’ doorsteps, but into their homes as well. The big-box retailer has partnered with August Home, a provider of smart locks and smart home accessories, for the test. A customer can now place their order online, then a third-party driver from Deliv will bring their items into their home using a one-time passcode that's been pre-authorized by the customer to allow entry. If customers want to see when their delivery arrives, they can watch the process on the August Home app, and receive a notification that the door has been locked behind them.
Total Retail's Take: I understand the convenience that Wal-Mart is offering here, but I don't know if this service is going to be a success. In theory it sounds great — eliminate the risk of having a package stolen from your doorstep by having the delivery driver place it safely in your locked home. Retail is moving towards third-party partnerships that offer more services to omnichannel customers (e.g., BOPIS). For example, if you're busy and need to have groceries taken care of, you can come home and have everything already put away in the refrigerator if Wal-Mart's partnership with August Home works as planned. I get it. However, in execution, to me this feels like it's crossing the line between helpful and creepy. Do people really want complete strangers in their homes when they're not around?
