Wal-Mart working with August Home to test in-home grocery delivery in Silicon Valley market

Wal-Mart Stores is testing a white-glove delivery service concept in Silicon Valley for online orders, including fresh grocery. The retail giant said by working with companies like August Home, which provides smart locks and smart home accessories, it can respond to customers who want a higher level of service.

Using August Home technology, grocery delivery to the home can include putting fresh milk in the fridge.

Wal-Mart customers in the test market area who choose to participate will receive Walmart.com orders delivered inside the home, not merely dropped off at the door. Customers who order groceries can ask to have their fresh and frozen items put away in refrigerators or freezers, while they watch the process on their smartphones via the August app and home security cameras that track the delivery person’s movements inside the home.

Once a delivery person arrives at the home, they are given access inside the home by entering a one-time code in the smart lock. The customer is then notified on their phone and can watch the delivery person’s entry into the home and follow their movements into the kitchen to ensure the fresh items are put in the fridge and or freezer. The customer can watch to ensure the delivery person leaves the home and the door lock is reset with a confirmation sent to the customer.

In setting out to solve the challenge, Wal-Mart decided to test the expanded delivery service with August Home.

“These tests are a natural evolution of what Wal-Mart is all about – an obsession in saving our customers not just money but also time,” noted Sloan Eddleston, vice president of strategy and business operations at Walmart eCommerce.

He said the retailer is excited to run the test in Silicon Valley with a handful of August Home customers who have opted to participate in testing the new concept.

“We want to do more in the future by delivering groceries and other orders in whatever location works best for our customers – inside the house for some and in the fridge/freezer in the garage for others. The possibilities are endless, and we look forward to exploring how we can further serve our customers’ needs,” Eddleston said.

He said what might seem novel today could be standard tomorrow, and while the service might be wanted by everyone, the retailer wants to offer customers the opportunity to participate in tests that help shape what retail will look like in the future.

Wal-Mart did not say if there would be an additional cost associated with added in-home delivery for the shopper, nor if it was working with other smart home companies to expand the test in other markets.