Walmart is working with a smart lock provider to give delivery drivers access to homes while customers are out.
Walmart is to test a new service that lets its delivery drivers put groceries straight into a customer’s refrigerator if they are not home.
The retailer has teamed up with smart lock start-up August Home to let drivers enter a home when the customer is out. The test will take place in Silicon Valley with a number of August Home users who have opted into the service.
In a blog post, Sloan Eddleston, Walmart’s vice president of e-commerce strategy and business operations, said that delivery drivers will have a one-time passcode that enables them to unlock the August smart lock if a customer does not answer the door.
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Frictionless deliveries
“As the homeowner, I’m in control of the experience the entire time – the moment the delivery driver rings my doorbell, I receive a smartphone notification that the delivery is occurring and, if I choose, I can watch the delivery take place in real-time,” said Eddleston.
The system will allow drivers to drop off packages in the hallway, carry groceries into the kitchen, and put items in the refrigerator before leaving.
“I’m watching the entire process from start to finish from my home security cameras through the August app. As I watch the delivery associate exit my front door, I even receive confirmation that my door has automatically been locked,” he said.
What might seem novel today could be the standard tomorrow, he added “This may not be for everyone – and certainly not right away – but we want to offer customers the opportunity to participate in tests today and help us shape what commerce will look like in the future,” he added.
Walmart has posted a video of what the delivery would look like: