Throughout the pandemic, grocers have been taking advantage of delivery channels to offer consumers the opportunity to get foods brought right to their doorstep. Now, many grocers are looking to go that next step, establishing a presence inside of consumers’ homes.
Walmart, the world’s largest grocery retailer, announced Wednesday (July 6) that it is including its InHome Delivery Service, by which it delivers products into consumers’ refrigerators even when they are away from home, as an add-on for Walmart+ members, where previously the two were separate membership programs.
“When Walmart+ members ask for something, we work around the clock to make it happen for them,” Chris Cracchiolo, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+, said in a statement. “Our members want options and a shopping experience that is easy to navigate and accommodates their individual needs, while saving them time and money — this is true now more than ever.”
The announcement comes as Walmart expands the InHome option to new markets in Florida, Texas and California, “nearly doubling” the availability of the service. For Walmart+ members, the in-fridge service program costs an additional $7 per month or $40 per year.
The service “has one of the highest customer experience ratings in the business,” according to a statement from Whitney Pegden, vice president and general manager of InHome at Walmart, who added that the retailer plans to expand the option “to reach over 30 million households” before the year’s end.
In today’s connected economy, merchants that have the best shot at standing out in the face of stiff competition are those that build relationships with their customers not only in stores but also throughout their daily routines. InHome, for instance, makes consumers’ own homes part of the Walmart grocery shopping experience. Amazon for its part, has its Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery.
Through these initiatives, with shoppers allowing retailers to enter their homes even when they themselves are away, merchants deepen their connection to consumers. Additionally, they enables them expand their grocery delivery businesses not only to occasions when consumers are waiting around at home but to all times, opening up delivery possibilities outside of the most in-demand timeframes.
Physically bringing products into consumers’ houses, however, is not the only way for retailers to establish a presence in their homes. Smart speaker integrations can also help establish a similar effect, embedding the commerce journey into their day-to-day lives. Walmart and Amazon have voice ordering options, as does Kroger, and Ahold Delhaize offers its “Ask Peapod” assistant through Amazon Alexa devices.
Grocers’ best shot at getting into consumers’ homes is making the ordering or fulfillment experience as frictionless as possible.
Research from PYMNTS’ May/June study “Satisfaction in the Age of eCommerce: How Trust Helps Online Merchants Build Customer Loyalty,” created in collaboration with eCommerce fraud management platform Riskified, which drew from a census-balanced survey of more than 2,100 U.S. adults, revealed that 57% of consumers say that it is important to them when shopping with online grocers for the digital experience to be easy and consistently functional, a greater share than said the same of any other factor.
See also: Four Key Ways Online Merchants Can Unlock Consumer Trust
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More