Walmart Associate Delivery

[easysurfer]

So, would you be okay with Walmart employees delivering stuff to your place? Might be happening.

Walmart announced on Thursday (June 1) that they will begin testing associate delivery.

This announcement comes during a Role of Digital at Walmart meeting during Walmart Shareholders Week.


The new delivery system will get online orders to customers’ doors using Walmart associates.


Walmart said the test program will cut shipping costs and get the packages to their destinations faster. President and CEO of Walmart E-Commerce Marc Lore said this program is optional for the associates.
“Imagine hundreds of associates they live all around different neighborhoods around the Walmart,” he said. “We take the packages and say okay this associate lives over here and they’re going to drive this way. Here’s one one along the route.”

Walmart To Begin Testing Associate Delivery | Fox 59

Of course, this is Walmart's play to compete with Amazon which probably is a good thing for consumers.

 

[AutumnElf]

What I'm concerned about are the employees...are they REALLY wanting to take a bunch of packages around ay the end of their work day? Why doesn't Walmart hire some folks to just deliver? I think they don't want to spend money on hiring and try to use what they got. That works for resources, but not always for people.

 

[btdt22]

So, would you be okay with Walmart employees delivering stuff to your place? Might be happening.

I certainly have no qualms with a Walmart employee dropping off a package I ordered

 

[JoeWras]

I would not be OK if they were not paid for it, but if paid, why not? Amazon uses Dynamex in our area for this, and usually it is just some guy or gal in a personal car that comes and delivers. This would essentially be the same.

BTW, I was wondering if they would be paid and what the other parameters were. Well this Washington Post article confirms they would be paid and it is currently voluntary. Slightly ironic I could only find this information at the WP, which is an Amazon owned source.

Edit: Maybe not so ironic since WP article brings up all the negatives, of course.

 

[JoeWras]

What I'm concerned about are the employees...are they REALLY wanting to take a bunch of packages around ay the end of their work day? Why doesn't Walmart hire some folks to just deliver? I think they don't want to spend money on hiring and try to use what they got. That works for resources, but not always for people.

My concern too, however as of now, it is voluntary and they get paid for it. I'm betting a lot of them will be happy to take the extra cash for a small detour home.

 

[candrew]

"This isn’t the first time Walmart has enlisted others to deliver its goods. Four years ago, executives told Reuters they were toying with the idea of having customers deliver packages to online shoppers in exchange for a discount."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...m_term=.b597349b83f5&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

Oh please! Not by this Walmart customer!

 

[sengsational]

That would alleviate having to stand around waiting while they search the closet for my store pick up item... I've used ship to store a bunch to save on shipping cost of low value orders and every time the associate was unable to find the item in a reasonable time. One time they never found it. So having it dropped off sounds great. Probably not free, but maybe cheaper than UPS or USPS though.

 

[aaronc879]

My concern too, however as of now, it is voluntary and they get paid for it. I'm betting a lot of them will be happy to take the extra cash for a small detour home.

+1
As of now, I see it as a win, win. The employee gets a little extra money to make a minor detour when he was just going home without pay anyway and the employer saves a little money on delivery. Seems like a good idea to me.

 

[Ready]

I saw that article and laughed. With all of Walmart's size and financial strength, they have never figured out how to effectively compete against Amazon. Walmart is running their company in the stone ages while Amazon is constantly innovating like a young startup tech company. Unless they change out the entire Walmart executive team, I don't see this ever changing.

 

[easysurfer]

For me, guess that depends on which local Walmart. By me, the closest one is more on the run down side and I avoid going there. Doesn't help that they pretty much accused me shoplifting as I was exiting and another time called a manager as I was making a purchase. From that store, I'd pass on the employee deliveries. But if a local was a nice, clean Supercenter Walmart. I'd be fine.

 

[MRG]

The first time a customer is assaulted, robbed, or by the Walmart employer that will be the end of this silly idea.

 

[Bestwifeever]

It's hard for me to imagine them finding a house, even with GPS (will Walmart give them each a GPS unit?). I can see a lot of lost packages. And can they become Teamsters?

 

[aaronc879]

The first time a customer is assaulted, robbed, or by the Walmart employer that will be the end of this silly idea.

UPS, FED X, USPS still exist. Their employees don't assault or rob the people they deliver packages to, why would Walmart employees be any different.

 

[aaronc879]

It's hard for me to imagine them finding a house, even with GPS (will Walmart give them each a GPS unit?). I can see a lot of lost packages. And can they become Teamsters?

I would imagine most Walmart employees have a smart phone with Googlemaps which should allow them to find any house they need to find.

 

[Texas Proud]

Another problem is getting what you ordered...

We ordered a Crock Pot for our DS to take to college... we did the pick up at the store options since DW did not want to take a chance...

Well, we go to pick it up and guess what? Their pick up group had left early for the day... we were there maybe 5 minutes before they were supposed to close... OK, no big deal, we will just get it and pay for it here... NOPE, cannot do that...

We then find out that they did not even have it in stock like they said... there were none on the shelf (we looked) and the one that was supposed to be waiting for us was not!!!

I have also had an online order from Walmart cancelled with a 'no longer in stock' message... however, it was batteries for a phone and they had the same thing under a different SKU for more money... even had the same product number.... so why have it on your website

We will still shop there from time to time as their prices are better and they are much closer than other options...

 

[MRG]

UPS, FED X, USPS still exist. Their employees don't assault or rob the people they deliver packages to, why would Walmart employees be any different.

Its not what they were hired for. Those are drivers who made careers out of delivery. Not person who is working at a job that's not paying a living wage.

 

[audreyh1]

So, would you be okay with Walmart employees delivering stuff to your place? Might be happening.

Hmmm - maybe not willing to give the gate code to random employees.

I'm OK with Fedex and UPS, and I have tracking info and delivery status/notification.

I've tried Walmart ship to store a couple of times and there is always a problem. Gave up on them.

 

[aaronc879]

Hmmm - maybe not willing to give the gate code to random employees.

I'm OK with Fedex and UPS, and I have tracking info and delivery status/notification.

I've tried Walmart ship to store a couple of times and there is always a problem. Gave up on them.

Don't understand how it's different than giving gate code to UPS type person. Would you give gate code to pizza delivery driver?

 

[Bestwifeever]

Actually, I can't imagine ordering from Walmart vs Amazon--if I need something from Walmart (or Target), I'll just go to the store. This delivery option is not going to get them on my online ordering radar.

 

[mickeyd]

It's a creative idea. I'll give um that.

 

[Walt34]

As long as it is truly voluntary for the employees I'd have no issues with it.

 

[ERD50]

What I'm concerned about are the employees...are they REALLY wanting to take a bunch of packages around ay the end of their work day? Why doesn't Walmart hire some folks to just deliver? ....

I think you are missing the concept here - the employees are driving home anyway. So they can volunteer to deliver a package that is on their way home.

Sounds like a very clever use of what would be wasted resources. The employee makes a little money for what they would be doing anyhow. Sounds like win-win to me.

Devil's in the details though. How far ahead does the employee volunteer? Maybe they aren't going straight home after work that shift. How far out of the way will they go? How long do they wait in line to get their package (when I did ship-to-store at Walmart, it took them a while to get it from the back room). These are solvable problems, whether they solve them or not is to be seen.

I think they don't want to spend money on hiring and try to use what they got. That works for resources, but not always for people.

What's the downside? I don't understand your concern.

-ERD50

 

[euro]

UPS, FED X, USPS still exist. Their employees don't assault or rob the people they deliver packages to, why would Walmart employees be any different.

This!!!

 

[euro]

Another problem is getting what you ordered...

We ordered a Crock Pot for our DS to take to college... we did the pick up at the store options since DW did not want to take a chance...

Well, we go to pick it up and guess what? Their pick up group had left early for the day... we were there maybe 5 minutes before they were supposed to close... OK, no big deal, we will just get it and pay for it here... NOPE, cannot do that...

We then find out that they did not even have it in stock like they said... there were none on the shelf (we looked) and the one that was supposed to be waiting for us was not!!!

I have also had an online order from Walmart cancelled with a 'no longer in stock' message... however, it was batteries for a phone and they had the same thing under a different SKU for more money... even had the same product number.... so why have it on your website

We will still shop there from time to time as their prices are better and they are much closer than other options...

I have similar spotty experiences with Walmart online. Clearly, they haven't figured out things like Amazon has. However, I believe they'll get there if they keep investing in it. This employee delivery is a good idea and provides them with a potential advantage over Amazon. I'm not really rooting against Amazon - they are fine. However, a little competition never hurts...

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

There is no Walmart in New York City. Zero, zilch, nada. They would make a killing delivering stuff , they have at least 1 in long island which is only a few miles away.