Industry Commentary: Walmart's employee delivery initiative

Walmart recently announced a pilot program where its associates would be given the option to deliver online orders on their way home from work. Two industry experts offer their comments on the program below:



"Wal-Mart’s store associate delivery initiative represents a shift in the landscape of last-mile delivery. To date, we have seen a majority of retailers test out and implement BOPIS initiatives to not only maximize their shipping strategy and drive in-store traffic, but to also deliver a competitive offering against Amazon.



Through this test-pilot, Wal-Mart is taking the last-mile delivery one step further and creating a broader ecosystem that not only utilizes their physical store presence as a central hub for retail operations but maximizes the power of their physical presence to aid in their order fulfillment strategy. It may be possible that we will see this type of strategy become more popular as retailers continue to transform their operations moving forward.”



-- Tushar Patel, chief marketing officer, Kibo





“Brilliant move on Walmart’s part to test the waters with an innovative twist on ship-from-store delivery. This is the right approach to think ‘outside the delivery box.’ Walmart is doing a great job of showing retailers that innovation isn’t the exclusive domain of Amazon. Beyond that they are including their staff, adding the human touch, which is the ultimate benefit of the physical retail presence.



At a time when so many retailers are laying off staff, and there is an feeling of disenfranchisement among associates, this is a great way of getting them engaged to promote positive customer experiences. Best of all this shows omnichannel brick-and-mortar retailers they have a solid opportunity to gain customers with excellent service, solid retail technology, and a splash of creativity."



-- Nick McLean, CEO, OrderDynamics