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Wal-Mart To Join Amazon In Providing In-Store Locker Service

Posted by Soulskill on from the blending-of-retail-models dept.

RougeFemme writes "Amazon has been placing lockers in brick-and-mortar retail stores, such as 7-Eleven, for pickup of online purchases. Walmart plans to pilot a similar program, presumably making it easier to pick up online purchases at Wal-Mart. 'Wal-Mart hopes its network of physical stores, which number about 4,000 in the United States, will give it an edge as consumers increasingly use smart phones while they shop. Wal-Mart has been testing the shipping of online orders from a small number of its physical stores for about two years. In 2013, the company plans to expand this program from about 25 stores currently to a total of roughly 50 stores. ... Two-thirds of the U.S. population live within five miles of a Wal-Mart store."

20 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Goodbye USPS by c0lo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    (self-explanatory subject)

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    1. Re:Goodbye USPS by Xphile101361 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Only if Amazon also feels like buying a fleet of trucks and being responsible for delivering these packages to the B&M locations. Walmart already has a fleet of vehicles, but I would guess that they have a small percentage of the online store sales. I'm also interested to see how they market this to customers. Why would I want to pick-up in store vs having it shipped to my house. Are they going to start charging to have it shipped to a residential address? That could quickly become a differentiator between online stores, as most people that I know only care about the total price of their purchase.

    2. Re:Goodbye USPS by FrankSchwab · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You realize the Amazon has been trialing same-day delivery of orders? This simply provides them with a cheaper (and more secure) way to deliver to you - you don't have to worry about the neighbor kid stealing stuff off your front porch, and they only have to deliver to one location rather than to 50 different houses.

      --
      And the worms ate into his brain.
    3. Re:Goodbye USPS by girlintraining · · Score: 2, Insightful

      (self-explanatory subject)

      Amazon is rolling out offering same-day or next-day delivery across the entire country. Why the hell do I want to drive across town to a Walmart to pickup my stuff when I can have a guy deliver it to my door? The country's postal service isn't going anywhere; It's still the only way to legally serve a large number of documents, send bills, etc. No, the only thing the USPS needs to fix is its budget: They need to pare-down their offerings and focus on what they're still needed for: envelopes, small packages, and letter delivery services. Their problem is that they bloated up while companies like FedEx and UPS took over the lucrative markets of large package delivery and organized to provide rapid package services worldwide. Now they need a strategic refocusing... but to say they're dead because of Walmart?

      Please.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    4. Re:Goodbye USPS by LurkerXXX · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Why the hell do I want to drive across town to a Walmart to pickup my stuff when I can have a guy deliver it to my door?

      You might not want to do it, so don't.

      Personally, I'm at work all day, and don't want someone stealing something delived off my porch while I'm at work. I'd prefer a locker I can pick up things from that will be secured until I can get at them.

      Not everyone works at home, has a stay-at-home spouse, or lives in an are where they trust no one will every steal a delivery left out.

      Please.

    5. Re:Goodbye USPS by tlhIngan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, the only thing the USPS needs to fix is its budget: They need to pare-down their offerings and focus on what they're still needed for: envelopes, small packages, and letter delivery services. Their problem is that they bloated up while companies like FedEx and UPS took over the lucrative markets of large package delivery and organized to provide rapid package services worldwide. Now they need a strategic refocusing... but to say they're dead because of Walmart?

      No, it's because George W. Bush signed a law that stated that USPS must prepay the pension 75 years in advance. Yes, USPS is paying into the coffers of wall street the pensions of people who are not even of working age yet (who of course, aren't employed by USPS yet).

      Until then, USPS was pulling in some pretty hefty profits ($1B or so). Of course, all that and more has to go to Wall Street to manage the pension.

      http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/internet/email-isnt-killing-the-post-office

    6. Re:Goodbye USPS by Deekin_Scalesinger · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The way amazon does it in 7-11 is they will mail you a code. Go to 7-11 (if Wawa did this I'd move back to Philly and would never leave their stores), punch it in, and grab yer l3wtz. Just like a bus locker. The dimensions aren't great...10x10x10 or some such.

      Good for me since I get small electronics a lot and really don't want it sitting on my stoop all day in downtown DC...

      --
      "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
    7. Re:Goodbye USPS by Ichijo · · Score: 2

      Well, that's not 'delivering it' to me. That's making me go to their store to pick it up.

      In a way, it's like community mailboxes. Stuff is no longer delivered directly to your house, but it's still convenient.

      How does the locker work? Do I get a code emailed to me?

      Yes, exactly. Just go there, punch in the code, and the locker door opens automatically.

      --
      Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
    8. Re:Goodbye USPS by c0lo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Last year, the USPS raised my 6 month P.O. box rental fee by 41%. It seems strange that they raised the rental rates even while fewer P.O. boxes were being rented in a down economy.

      It just shows how the USPS (or Congress, who sets the rates) are disconnected from reality.

      It is called death throes if I'm not mistaken.
      Forced to swallow a poison pill and forbidden to spit (or vomit) it out.

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    9. Re:Goodbye USPS by girlintraining · · Score: 2, Informative

      Personally, I'm at work all day, and don't want someone stealing something delived off my porch while I'm at work. I'd prefer a locker I can pick up things from that will be secured until I can get at them.

      Drop boxes for mail have been around since the 1600s. But hey, if you want to drive across town because you need the excercise, rock on man.

      Not everyone works at home, has a stay-at-home spouse, or lives in an are where they trust no one will every steal a delivery left out. Please.

      There were two shootings in my neighborhood last night. My mail is kept in a lock box and shipments that won't fit are kept at the post office... which is located four blocks from here, not 15 miles like Walmart. But don't let me interrupt a perfectly good internet rant with logic and facts. Please, continue.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    10. Re:Goodbye USPS by LurkerXXX · · Score: 2

      Drop boxes for mail have been around since the 1600s.
      Congratulations, you don't live in an apartment building or condo where you might not have that option, or an area with a home owners association which may make it a hard proposal.

      Not everyone can easily install a dropbox. Not everyone has a mom at home to sign for packages so they are there when you get home from junior high like you must.

      My mail is kept in a lock box and shipments that won't fit are kept at the post office

      And how late is the post office open where you are? It's not very frickin late here. 5 PM weekdays, which makes it pretty much totally useless. Having an option at a store that is open late is attractive to some people.

      How many posts is it going to take for you to realize not everyone lives where you do, and is in the same situation as you? I'm tired of continuing to point out your ignorance.

    11. Re:Goodbye USPS by Githaron · · Score: 2

      But hey, if you want to drive across town because you need the excercise, rock on man.

      You are doing it wrong.

  2. Where will they be located? by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 3, Funny

    I mean within the store. I've done Walmart pickups at a couple stores and the pickup department is way the Hell in the back of the store, as far from the entrance as they can put it. When I do in-store pickup at a local store, I do it to reduce the time I spend walking around the store, not maximize it. :P

    1. Re:Where will they be located? by ChrisMaple · · Score: 2

      Pickup is at the back because it's close to the receiving dock and the stockroom.

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    2. Re:Where will they be located? by AK+Marc · · Score: 2

      I used to do that at Best Buy, but even after it was marked "ready" 50% of the time they had to go find it on the shelf and run it over. It's like reverse convenience, multiple lines, slow service, and in Best Buy's case, same price. Well, except for the time I ordered a web special on my phone and waited in the store for them to get it, for the $5 savings.

      --
      Learn to love Alaska
  3. Any way to get more people in the store... by bluephone · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Amazon is more likely to be used by people with money to burn, people wealthier than the average WalMart customer. This will get those types into the store, and will certainly result in more purchases by those types. The long term viability will depend on Walmart making the store attractive to those types.

    --
    jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]
  4. Some people can't receive packages by chuckugly · · Score: 2

    There are some people who cannot receive packages at work and have no one at home to sign. Not even their mom.

  5. That or suck less with packages by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 2

    A functional tracking system would be a good start. It isn't like the package market is something they just can't do. They just do a crap job of it so people use the other carriers all the time. The post office could and should improve their service and they'd probably see more use.

  6. Re:Canada by Deekin_Scalesinger · · Score: 2

    You Canucky types seem to get the short end of the stick far too often :( you poured out your hearts for Operation Yellow Ribbon back in the day and you have two crappy ISPs (Rogers is famed even down here), a lot of snow and second tier billing (Netflix, Wal-Mart, etc).

    Just a cheery nod to our friends North of the border, a thanks for being good neighbors, and sorry we suck as neighbors. Not all Yanks are raving morons, and this one appreciates having you guys next door to us.

    PS - Girls from Nova Scotia are hawt. Hawt I say! Thank you, that is all :)

    --
    "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
  7. criminals rejoice by wbr1 · · Score: 2

    Sounds like a handy way to pick up goods purchased fraudulently on a stolen card or paypal account. Walmart does accept paypal.

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.