Wal-Mart Stores APP For Faster Pickup

I had order some office supplies from WM on-line for free store pickup.  The product didn’t seem to be in other stores, and the price was terrific (on-line) at WM.  I got an email to come pick up the item, and learned that if you have a WM APP on your phone, and have ordered something on line, for free pickup at the store, you can speed up the pickup by do something on the APP.  The notice email says when you are in the store parking lot (or in store, or near store) and tell the app you are “here”, they will start gathering up your special order and have it ready at the back of the store when you push your cart back there in the course of “shopping” for other stuff.

I have noticed that WM has massive number of items on line – far more than are in the store.  The website is poorly done, and information on an item might be scant (and far less than Amazon).  However I often need an item that is on the website, and much cheaper than other websites, or even in the WM store.  But usually what I want is not in the store. The WM website remembers my credit card info, so ordering is super easy, about the same or better than Amazon.  

I do shop WM for certain groceries (prices are good, brands and store brands I like) and health and beauty aid products are nicely priced there as well.  While I won’t, personally, order that much, so won’t load the app myself (yet) – I bring this to the Blog since I see this as a trend – particularly with on-line groceries and Whole Foods and Amazon teaming up.  I have family members that already order groceries on line, delivered to their home – probably with an app.  They use Shipt.  That service shops many grocery stores, not just one.  And they bring the groceries to your home within a small delivery time window, and put it on the kitchen counter top.  You can’t beat that !  Especially if you have small children and going to the store with them is a major hassle.

www.shipt.com

FOLLOW UP --- I now have been to retrieve my WM ordered product.  I was amazed.  The remodeled store has a tall orange kiosk near the front door.  It dispenses your on-line ordered package, much like the old Automat Cafeterias dispensed food in New York City in the 1950's.  This kiosk reads your bar code (you printed at home), and brings the package to you, opens the door, and hands it to you ... no humans involved (other than you).  It is wrapped as if it was going UPS, only it came to the store on a WM truck, and thus you pay no freight.  UPS is cut out of any compensation, I guess.  This kiosk even had a sofa or something in front for relaxing.  It was so easy, I can see the revolution building steam.  But, the kiosk must have cost $100,000 to build. This is sort of a hybrid between on line ordering with Prime from Amazon, and going to a store and buying the product. Future gas/convenience stores will have, they say, something similar.  You go there to get gas, and retrieve any packages you ordered on-line.  More secure than leaving them on your front porch, or in the hall if you live in an apartment building.