Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced Tuesday that it is set to offer a curbside pickup service for groceries ordered online. The move seeks to capitalize on the retail giant's network of physical stores amidst aggressive competition from Amazon and other companies investing in home grocery delivery.
The retail giant further stated that it will be opening the pickup service in eight new markets this month, including Atlanta and Salt Lake City, with the service being made available for more locations in the next few weeks, according to Reuters.
This means that customers who order grocery items online will be able to pick up their items from a nearby Wal-Mart branch at a time that is most convenient for them. In fact, the customer does not even have to get down from their car, since a Wal-Mart employee will be delivering the groceries and loading them up in the customer's vehicle.
The service has been tested on Wal-Mart branches in Denver, Phoenix, California, Bentonville, Arkansas, and Huntsville, Alabama. Results of the service's test run have been quite positive so far, reported Bloomberg Business.
Wal-Mart's announcement puts it in direct competition with tech giant Amazon, which currently offers a $299-a-year service called AmazonFresh that offers grocery delivery services to customers who order online. Target has also announced a partnership with Instacart, which would also offer a same-day grocery delivery service.
Google has also announced its intention of starting a delivery service for groceries and fresh food later this year, with the test runs being conducted in San Francisco and another U.S. city.
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