A number of services have been created to get groceries to your home. Some are simply the same bagged groceries you would buy yourself at a grocery store. Some are prepared foods or a box of ingredients for foods you’ll cook. But none of these sources puts the food right into your refrigerator, until now. Wal-Mart is working with August Home, a smart lock company, to enable food delivery people to access your home and put your groceries right in your fridge without you even having to be there. Matthew Stern explains the service at Forbes:
Walmart has made many big investments in innovation in a short period of time in what is presumably an attempt to go toe-to-toe with Amazon. The company acquired e-tailer Jet.com and popular indie brands like ModCloth, Bonobos and Moosejaw. It has also implemented virtual reality solutions for some aspects of employee training and has even rolled out a Silicon Valley tech incubator called Store No. 8. These modernizing moves have begun to paint a picture of Walmart quite a different than the spartan, low-priced big box retailer of the past.
“Walmart is taking convenience to the next level,” wrote Jackie Breen, director of marketing at DECK Commerce, in a RetailWire online discussionlast week. “What a great concept both for busy individuals or the elderly who simply need a little help.”
“It may not catch on overnight, but it has potential,” commented Keith Anderson, SVP of strategy and insight at Profitero, also of the RetailWireBrainTrust panel. “Attended delivery is one of the biggest barriers to online grocery adoption. Other solutions, like dry ice-packed totes, can only keep food fresh for so long — and some households have concerns about leaving groceries on their doorstep.”
“The security concerns are valid but can likely also be overcome,” said Mr. Anderson.
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