Walmart is in the process of testing a new self-service kiosk that will be delivered in form of a giant grocery vending machine. The aim here is to make it easier for customers who make orders for groceries online to pick them up faster and more conveniently. The testing comes as Walmart is trying to cement its place as one of the leading grocery retailers amidst competition from Amazon. The tests are currently taking place in Warr Acres, Oklahoma at one of its super-center’s parking lots. Customers can pick their orders on the vending machine without interacting with employees in any way.
It’s actually a very simple concept when you think about it. As a customer, you’ll go online to the Walmart website, purchase your order and pay. An employee from Walmart will pick up the order, package it, and then store it in the bins that are inside the giant vending machine. You can then come up and pick your order as you go. The giant vending machine also features freezers and refrigerators inside to ensure that the groceries stay fresh right from the time they were purchased until when the buyer picks them up. So, what happens when you reach the kiosks? You don’t need to go through each bin to find your order.
Once you have made the purchase, Walmart will supply you with a code. The vending machine will ask you to input the code and within a minute, your order will be ready to go. The giant kiosk will be open 24/7 and has the ability to fulfill hundreds of customer orders on a daily basis. Walmart has really intensified its online grocery offerings. At the moment, customers can access nearly 30,000 grocery items including dairy products, fresh produce and also meat. Walmart’s spokesman, Scott Markely, said that the giant kiosks will add a lot of convenience and will significantly reduce the time it takes for people to shop for groceries.
He said that, over the years, grocery shopping has been something that takes hours during weekends, especially for busy families that are relatively large. The new vending machines are designed to change that. One of the strategies that Walmart has been using in recent months to increase its competitiveness has been the integration of its online services and its wide network of large stores countrywide. The retailer feels that the physical stores offer a significant advantage and are now being used as fulfillment centers for orders made online.
This is something that Amazon, which recently launched an on-demand grocery delivery service, does not have. Walmart also launched specialized discounts for people who would prefer to pick online orders in any of its stores, instead of getting home deliveries. This is one of the clearest indications that indeed the retailer is looking to merge its online and offline operations while still offering customers the high level of convenience and efficiency they get with online shopping. The giant vending machine is one of the few innovations geared towards this and so far, things are looking very good for the retailer.
