Walmart links home delivery service to ‘smart garage’ solution
Walmart is providing customers with a new option for in-garage delivery of groceries.
The discount giant is partnering with “smart garage” technology provider myQ to soon let users of the myQ app monitor, control and secure their garage door for inHome deliveries. Launched in 2019, Walmart’s InHome service delivers fresh groceries, everyday essentials and other products directly into customers’ homes, including placing items straight into their kitchen or garage refrigerator. The service also provides pick up for Walmart.com returns.
Once signed up for InHome, a customer places their order on the Walmart app and selects InHome as their preferred delivery option. A trained InHome associate completes the delivery.
Upon arriving at the customer’s home, the associate uses a one-time access code to unlock the customer’s door or garage through their InHome app, which pairs with smart entry technology. The Walmart app notifies the customer at every step and a camera, worn on the associates’ vest, records the entire delivery, which customers have access to from their phones for up to a week after each delivery. Delivery personnel take health and safety measures including wearing a mask, sanitizing surfaces and locking up.
Through this new partnership, Walmart customers will soon have the option of enabling one-time secure garage delivery access via the myQ solution. Customers with a myQ-powered garage door opener can download the myQ app and follow the steps to connect their opener(s) to the myQ app.
Customers without a myQ-powered device who subscribe to Walmart+ InHome and choose myQ as their default delivery method will be offered a free technology upgrade to make their existing garage door opener compatible.
Walmart has been attempting to expand the reach of InHome. In July 2022, the retailer began making InHome available as an optional add-on within the Walmart+ paid membership program.
InHome Delivery costs $19.95 per month or $148 per year, with no additional fees, including tips, which are built into the membership price. Customers can extend one-time access to their InHome associate using an existing smart lock, a garage keypad, or by purchasing a new smart lock from InHome for $49.95.
Taking on Amazon
Walmart began piloting direct-to-fridge deliveries in January 2019, in the wake of Amazon rolling out some of the main features of its “smart entry” program, Amazon Key, to Prime members nationwide. The program’s primary feature, in-home deliveries, uses a smart lock to allow Amazon to make deliveries inside a customer’s front door or garage.
"The goal of Walmart+ InHome is to give our members convenience and choice and, over the last few years, we've discovered our in-garage delivery option is a popular choice among members," said Whitney Pegden, VP and GM, InHome. "We're really excited for myQ smart garage technology to help us reach more customers with a more seamless in-garage experience."
“With over 210 million packages having vanished from porches across the US last year, many consumers feel the need to schedule their day around deliveries to ensure they get their packages and groceries," said Kiel Fitzgerald, senior director of delivery services for Chamberlain Group, parent company of myQ. "In-garage delivery puts the customer in control with no need to schedule the day around deliveries – rain or shine, packages and groceries will stay safe inside the garage until someone is free to get them."