Retail chain Walmart today announced a major technology innovation to enhance customer experience.
Walmart said its store associates can place orders for customers from Walmart.com via an app on their handheld touchscreen devices. This service brings Walmart’s online products to Walmart’s physical stores, while allowing customers to pay using all payment methods – including cash.
Customers can use the retailer’s Dotcom Store service to order items on Walmart online and ship directly to them or to their nearest Walmart store. Customers can pay for the items in stores via cash, check, credit/debit or Walmart Pay.
Walmart will be offering the new service from today in nearly all 4,700 Walmart stores and will be available year-round.
“The Dotcom Store offers customers more assortment options than what’s on our physical shelves – whether that be different sizes, colors or varieties,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president of digital and central operations, Walmart U.S.
Walmart associates will look up items sold and shipped by Walmart online on a store handheld device and place the order, with the option of shipping directly to the customer’s home, or to the store for pickup.
The Amazon rival said customer will receive either a printed ticket or email / text with a barcode that allows them to pay at any register in-store. The shipment process begins after the customer pays for the item at the register and the transaction is complete.
The global retailer plans to add marketplace items on Walmart.com to the app in the near future.
