Walmart to test delivering groceries to high-tech porch coolers

HARLINGEN — Walmart, which has been testing delivery in a half-dozen U.S. cities over the past two years, is going to try bringing home the groceries to temperature-controlled boxes on customers’ front porches.

The test run for this new service, called HomeValet, will begin in spring but only in Bentonville, Arkansas, for now.

The concept is remarkably similar to daily milk deliveries which were pretty common at one time (for those of you under 60, consult a grandparent), albeit with some new high-tech twists.

The locked, temperature-controlled boxes are designed to hold perishables and pantry items in separate zones inside the boxes in order to keep frozen goods frozen and cold items safe from spoilage.

It also uses UV rays to kill germs and control mold and mildew.

“HomeValet’s smart box is powered by an internet of things (IoT) platform that has three temperature-controlled zones, so it can properly store frozen, refrigerated and pantry items,” Tom Ward, Walmart senior vice president of customer product, wrote in a blog post this week. “And when it’s time for a delivery to be made, the smart box communicates with the delivery provider’s device, giving them secure access to the smart box to complete the delivery.”

“For Walmart, it presents an opportunity to deliver items 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he added. “While we don’t have plans to do 24/7 delivery today, it certainly has a nice ring to it.”

The refrigerated lockbox operates on power supplied by the homeowner, but will have a battery backup the company says will keep things cold for up to 36 hours.

Walmart already offers its Walmart+ premium service offering free in-home delivery for $98 a year in several cities. That program accesses a home or garage via smart locks so Walmart delivery workers can put the groceries in the fridge.  It operates in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Vero Beach, Florida, and West Palm Beach, Florida.

“If there’s one thing we know about our customers, it’s that they’re busier than ever,” Ward continued. “Our pilot with HomeValet is one of many solutions we’re testing that can make their days more manageable. After all, delivery should fit within their lifestyle, not the other way around.”

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