Walmart is testing an unusual solution for last-mile delivery by having cashiers and shelf-stockers deliver online orders to customers on their way home from work.
Walmart Calls Worker Delivery Program “A Game Changer”
According to Walmart, workers will have the opportunity to deliver packages on their way home to earn extra income. Using a proprietary app, employees will be able to choose how far out of their way they’re willing to go and the size and weight of the packages that they deliver. Walmart even says that the GPS built into the app is helping workers find quicker routes home, in spite of their delivery stop.
Walmart believes that the idea could revolutionize their e-commerce sales model:
“Walmart has strength in numbers with 4,700 stores across the U.S. and more than a million associates. Our stores put us within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population. Now imagine all the routes our associates drive to and from work and the houses they pass along the way. It’s easy to see why this test could be a game-changer.”
The announcement comes as the retail giant works to keep up with Amazon, a company famous for using outside of the box thinking to speed up last-mile deliveries.
The testing for the new delivery program began in April and is currently only available in three locations — two in New Jersey and one in Arkansas.
Said Walmart in a blog post, “It just makes sense: We already have trucks moving orders from fulfillment centers to stores for pickup. Those same trucks could be used to bring ship-to-home orders to a store close to their final destination, where a participating associate can sign up to deliver them to the customer’s house. The best part is this gives our own associates a way to earn extra income on their existing drive home.“