Wal-Mart To Test Online Delivery Lockers in Stores

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It seems like Wal-Mart is trying to copy Amazon with this new online delivery lockers. Anyone plan on using this?

Wal-Mart Stores Inc will test the use of lockers in its stores to hold goods ordered online until shoppers pick them up, Neil Ashe, chief executive of its e-commerce unit, said on Tuesday. The test, starting this summer, is one of many steps the retailer is taking to link its growing e-commerce business with its thousands of stores around the world.
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Using stores as fulfillment centers that are closer to customers allows Wal-Mart to offer same-day delivery and next-day delivery of online orders "at very low cost," said Joel Anderson, chief executive of Walmart.com.
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I like the sound of that !!!
 
I use site to store all the time and would love to bypass the pickup line and/or waiting for an associate. Half the point of shopping online is to avoid dealing with people. :)
 
maybe for ammo, everything else is still walmart quality.
 
Here's a better idea. I buy something at walmart.com, that is also at my local walmart store, and then I go to the store and just pick it up. Why TF can't I do that yet. I don't understand whey I have to "site to store" something that is already in the store.
 
Anything has to be better than dealing with the morons at Internet pickup..
 
J So said:
Anything has to be better than dealing with the morons at Internet pickup..
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If the morons are actually there. My last order I had sent to store, someone on the way through told me the person was at lunch and then they took off real quick. I managed to flag someone else down to explain I didn't have time to wait around for the lone wolf there to get back from lunch. I eventually got a manager to help me, but she was halfway clueless on what to do.
 
^This^

After 2 Walmart online purchases, that's it for me.

For a Fortune 500 company they really suck at modern technology.
 
Both amazon and walmart need to fix the layout of their horrible websites, they also walmart especially has a terrible search engine. Don't even bother trying to find anything on walmarts website just google it on the whole web and you will find it at walmart faster.
 
fuck walmart...oh wait no I don't plan on using this as unless I decide to actually buy from them.
 
If this works out it would be interesting to be able to get a week's worth of groceries online. The people who sit in motorized shopping carts would love that too.
 
I wish walmart would learn hiw to find an item in the store. Lately, ive been just ordering it in the store for like 8 minute pickup in order to buy something.
 
The problem with Wal-mart and some of the suggestions above is how Wal-mart employs the low end of the spectrum of workers. Even Best Buy looks classy in comparison.

By paying minimum wage, they have a workforce of crappy people. These crappy people don't give a crap about their own store let alone the company. This is why their stores are really nice for about a year. After which they're on the ass end of the department store world.

And it doesn't help that they're marketing towards the cheapest of cheap people who likewise don't give a crap about the store nor their fellow customers. They barely respect themselves.

Attract crappy employees to service crappy customers with nearly crappy product, and there's not much you're going to do to edge up the image without just opening a brand new shiny store to repeat the problem.
 
Yeah, the place is staffed by idiots, which makes even picking up an online order pretty much unbearable. It is not a pleasant experience navigating the parking lot and then having to make your way all the way to the back to get your stuff, and then all the way back out.

Maybe they could do a separate store within a store, with it's own entrance and parking out back, staffed by specialists, where online orders could be quickly picked up. Maybe even a drive through for some orders. Perhaps 24 hr access to a locker area by swiping the credit card used for purchase.

I think they have an opportunity, if they get serious and make the necessary improvements, to better compete with Amazon if they want. They would have to get even better at tracking inventory and communicating with customers. There is a possible advantage in letting the customer to choose the delivery time rather than wondering if something will still be on their porch when they get home. A lot of people drive by a WalMart every day.
 
One of the worst experiences I ever had in a WM didn't actually even involve me..I was back in the TLE department to pay for some oil change goodies(I would NEVER trust them). While I was waiting a tech came in and was speaking to the Department/TLE Manager about a customer who had brought in a bill for ~$600 that involved a full oil pan/pump replacement due to WM ringing the drain plug off the last time they changed the guy's oil...

The Manager (a mean ass looking woman) immediately declares in a raised voice "We are NOT paying for that..He could have had the oil changed anywhere or done the damage himself."..The tech looks at her and says according to the computer, he has had his car serviced her every 3K miles for the last 8 years..She snatched the invoice out of the tech's hand and went stalking off toward the front of the store, muttering curses like a sailor!..

Back on topic, I think this idea is kinda cool, especially the cheap local delivery..What scares me about it is the fact that WM does hire the cheapest people they can..I can just see the 50 yr old man that hasn't showered in 3 days pulling up in his 1980 Chevy Molester on wheels den which leaks oil all over your nice driveway while he stares at you creepily..:eek::eek::eek:
 
I try to avoid WM like I avoid HIV, but I could see this being useful. They will have to get some good protocols in place for stocking it with the wrong items and things of that nature. It will not make me use WM any more but it would be useful for the 2 times a year they have something I need or want.
 
TwiceOver said:
Here's a better idea. I buy something at walmart.com, that is also at my local walmart store, and then I go to the store and just pick it up. Why TF can't I do that yet. I don't understand whey I have to "site to store" something that is already in the store.
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They would spend too much time and have too many unhappy customers over that one in 20 items (just guessing at the number) they can't find on the sales floor because it has been misplaced or stolen.

I suspect it is much easier to keep track of inventory in a warehouse than on a sales floor, and I for one know I'd be pissed off if I was told an item was held for me and it wasn't there when I arrived.

Even if it worked fine most of the time, it would probably be a disaster just because of the small percentage of times it didn't.
 
ravx25 said:
If the morons are actually there. My last order I had sent to store, someone on the way through told me the person was at lunch and then they took off real quick. I managed to flag someone else down to explain I didn't have time to wait around for the lone wolf there to get back from lunch. I eventually got a manager to help me, but she was halfway clueless on what to do.
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I've only used site to store once, but no one was at the desk when I arrived, and the first person why came out from the back after a few minutes told me they would have to find the person who was supposed to help me and then disappeared. When the "right person" showed up about ten minutes later, they said the other person never found them and they had been busy moving boxes around.

I got the feeling that the store didn't do a lot of site to store business and my timing was just bad, but maybe my experience wasn't so unique.

I suspect that it would run more smoothly if there were enough site to store business to keep them busy. Lockers could improve things greatly. However getting help if the item isn't in your locker when it is supposed to be or didn't fit in the locker will be even harder.
 
CappyCobra said:
Maybe they should work on getting the stock on shelves before trying this locker business...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...wal-mart-empty-shelves-for-target-costco.html
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I think a lot of times such problems are due to poor local management rather than a company wide problem. Wal-Mart's growth also means they have had to hire a lot more store managers.

My more memorable example of this was at one Wal-Mart with chronically long lines at busy times. I stopped in after work (an obviously busy time) and while waiting in a line about 10 deep with only a handful of registers open. I heard someone queue up the PA system and expected to hear something like all store associates to the checkout lines. It was a call for all available store associates, but to a staff meeting, not the checkout.

A few months later, that store was running relatively smoothly. I suspect there was a change in management.
 
flatrock said:
I think a lot of times such problems are due to poor local management rather than a company wide problem. Wal-Mart's growth also means they have had to hire a lot more store managers.

My more memorable example of this was at one Wal-Mart with chronically long lines at busy times. I stopped in after work (an obviously busy time) and while waiting in a line about 10 deep with only a handful of registers open. I heard someone queue up the PA system and expected to hear something like all store associates to the checkout lines. It was a call for all available store associates, but to a staff meeting, not the checkout.

A few months later, that store was running relatively smoothly. I suspect there was a change in management.
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No, it truly is corporate seeing just how far they can reduce their labor force. This isnt unique to just WalMart but they are the ones who have taken it to what is probably its furthest extent. Most national retailers are doing the same, using technology as an excuse to say they dont need any more people to do the work. I get half the hours I use to get 10 years ago to do what is now almost twice the work.

The thing is that customers WILL NOT pay the price necessary to get the service and conditions they expect. Customers expect magazine perfection but are only willing to pay the price for part time minimum wage labor. Does not and will not happen.
 
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