Walmart is expanding its home delivery service to some 30 million US homes, and is hiring 3,000 drivers to accomplish its goal.
Walmart has been aggressively building out its InHome delivery service, especially in the face of the pandemic and shoppers reluctant to be in crowded stores. The service was previously available to 6 million US homes, but the company is planning to expand that to 30 million in 2022.
As part of its expansions, Walmart is hiring an additional 3,000 drivers, and building out a fleet of EVs to facilitate deliveries.
“We’ve been operating InHome in select markets over the last two years and have found it is a perfect solution for customers who want to live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, last mile at Walmart U.S. “Identifying ways to help our customers save time and money is our purpose, and nothing showcases that better than InHome delivery, which is why we’re excited to bring the convenience of InHome to even more customers in 2022.”
Unlike some other delivery services, Walmart has built InHome around the ultimate convenience. Associates will deliver a customer’s groceries, even putting them in their kitchen or garage refrigerator. Access is granted via a one-time code in the InHome app, in combination with smart home locks and technology. This allows the driver access for the delivery, and only the delivery.
Walmart ensures these associates are highly trained and trustworthy, even using virtual reality to help round out their training.
“This new role is yet another example of how technology is enabling us to offer new career opportunities that just didn’t exist a few years ago,” said Julie Murphy, executive vice president and chief people officer, Walmart U.S. “Expanding our number of InHome associates is a testament to the trust and confidence we have in them and their continuous commitment to delight our customers. There’s a path for everyone to build a career here at Walmart, and this position is further proof of that.”