Walmart InHome Delivery Expanding – Reaching 30 Million U.S. Homes in 2022

The new year is upon us, and Walmart is resolving to bring Walmart InHome delivery to even more customers in 2022. Today, the retailer announced plans to scale up the service, making it available to 30 million U.S. households by the end of the year, up from 6 million currently. In order to support the expansion, Walmart will hire more than 3,000 delivery associates this year, along with building a fleet of 100% all-electric delivery vehicles.

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“We’ve been operating InHome in select markets over the last two years and have found it is a perfect solution for customers who want to live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery,”

“Identifying ways to help our customers save time and money is our purpose, and nothing showcases that better than InHome delivery, which is why we’re excited to bring the convenience of InHome to even more customers in 2022.”

Tom Ward, Senior Vice President of Last Mile, Walmart U.S.

Launched in 2019, the Walmart InHome delivery service is designed to give time back to families by using highly-trained associates to deliver fresh groceries, everyday essentials, and more directly into customers’ homes, including placing items straight into their kitchen or garage refrigerator, as well as picking up Walmart.com returns. Here’s how it works:

1. Order: Once signed up for InHome, a customer places their order on the Walmart App and selects InHome as their preferred delivery option.
2. Deliver: A highly-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 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.
3. Enjoy: The customer can rest easy knowing associates took the appropriate safety measures, including wearing a mask, sanitizing surfaces and locking up, leaving the perfect finishing touches.

Walmart InHome – The Future of Delivery

Walmart’s InHome Delivery service is $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.

To support the rapidly growing Walmart InHome service, this year Walmart plans to hire more than 3,000 InHome associate delivery drivers and equip them with a fleet of 100% all-electric delivery vans. Not only does the implementation of electric vehicles (EV) support the retailer’s goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040, but it is also supported by Walmart’s growing infrastructure of 1,396 EV charging stations at stores and clubs across 41 states.

The role of an associate delivery driver is a new, up-and-coming full-time position in Walmart stores that is focused on employing highly-qualified associates who are interested in serving customers beyond the store and in the community. Walmart InHome drivers are employed by Walmart and receive an extra $1.50/hour from most current store roles, a pay differential designed to attract top talent. Associates qualify for the retailer’s total rewards and benefits plans, including medical, vision, and dental insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, no-cost counseling and access to a free college degree, with Walmart paying for 100% of tuition and books through its Live Better U program.

Walmart will fill these roles by promoting its own associates from within, building on a track record that saw more than 300,000 associates promoted to roles of more responsibility and higher pay in the fiscal year 2021. InHome drivers receive in-depth training conducted both in-person and using virtual reality, further enabling them to build their skillset around using innovative tools and technology to manage the delivery process.

“This new role is yet another example of how technology is enabling us to offer new career opportunities that just didn’t exist a few years ago,”

“Expanding our number of Walmart InHome associates is a testament to the trust and confidence we have in them and their continuous commitment to delight our customers. There’s a path for everyone to build a career here at Walmart, and this position is further proof of that.”

Julie Murphy, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Walmart U.S.

Walmart InHome delivery is the newest delivery option to be scaled to Walmart customers and is an important part of the retailer’s last-mile delivery strategy, which includes creating a low-cost last-mile delivery network focused on density, speed, and sustainability. Walmart also offers delivery and Express delivery on 160,000+ items from more than 3,400 Walmart stores, reaching 70% of the U.S. population.

Additionally, the retailer leads the industry in the trialing of sustainable and innovative delivery solutions, like drones and self-driving cars. More recently, Walmart began commercializing its nationwide delivery capabilities through Walmart GoLocal, a white-label delivery as a service business focused on providing third-party retailers and brands an affordable local delivery solution.

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