Walmart to add giant online order Pickup Towers to 80 more stores

By on July 20, 2017

walmart-pickup

Rolled out during 2016 as a trial run in Bentonville, Arkansas, Walmart is building online order Pickup Towers in 80 more stores this year. Currently installed in 20 stores around the United States, the towers completely automate the pickup procedure from the customer perspective.

Positioned at the front of the store, the customer walks up to scan the barcode that appears on their receipt. That can be a paper version of the receipt printed at home or a digital version on the customer’s smartphone. After confirming the pickup, the machine goes to work and automatically delivers the customer’s item under a minute using a conveyor belt system inside the tower.

Roughly 16 feet tall and 8 feet wide, the machine delivers the item at a nearby door and the customer can be on their way without having to speak to a single Walmart employee. Interestingly, the compartments within the machine can be adjusted based off the size of the item being picked up. That provides a superior storage solution compared to standard lockers.

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This eliminates the need for customers to locate online order pickup areas within the store. While traditionally located at the rear of Walmart B&M locations, the company has been actively relocating pickup areas to the front of the store to help consumers save time when picking up an online order.

This year, Walmart has been aggressively fighting Amazon when it comes to online orders. The company rolled out an anti-Amazon Prime earlier this year in the form of discounts when you choose to pickup an order rather than having it delivered.

About Mike Flacy

Editor-in-Chief for The CheckOut. During my free time, I love to write about pop culture, home theater, digital photography, social media, mobile technology and cool gadgets!

2 Comments

  1. T P

    November 17, 2017 at 4:10 am

    I no I would use this where I live! Right now you have to go to the back of the store where Layaway is, and Hopefully someone will help you before your 30 minute break is up! Then to there dismay they very unwilling have to go get your package! Then god forbid you check it to make sure it’s right before you leave the store! I stopped ordering anything online because I didn’t like inconveniencing the EMPLOYEES! They make you feel that bad! That being said not having to go through that nightmare, this is PERFECT for our store in the Friendly city of Fairmont,Wv! 😂

  2. Leo Nicholson

    July 22, 2017 at 9:34 am

    Neat, as I use Walmart online, but use free shipping due to inconvenience of in-store pickup.

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