Wal-Mart Expands In-Store Pickup Test
By George Anderson
Wal-Mart is expanding its test of in-store pickup for products purchased on
Walmart.com beyond the five original Dallas-area locations it started off with
last month to an additional 23 Supercenters in the market beginning next week.
Consumers shopping on the retailer’s Web site are able to select the store
pickup option and choose the location when checking out online. Currently, consumers
in the test area can pickup “movies, music, electronics, books, baby strollers,
sporting goods and jewelry,” according to a Dallas Morning News report.
“It’s too early to comment on customer response at this point,” said Amy Colella,
spokeswoman for Wal-Mart.com. However, she said the test will decide whether
this is “another value-added option for Wal-Mart customers to shop and purchase
items.”
Moderator’s Comment: Where do you think Wal-Mart is
headed with its in-store pickup test? Will it eventually have associates filling
orders in the store from available stock in a similar fashion to some of the
online grocery services?
The items currently eligible for in-store pickup are Internet-only
items. The products purchased online by consumers are shipped to a store for
pickup. –
George Anderson – Moderator