Walmart is testing direct-to-fridge delivery, a service that taps Amazon’s newest acquisition, Whole Foods, in bringing groceries not only to your house, but your fridge itself.
Walmart announced last Friday it would be testing the service on a few customers in Silicon Valley. The company will also be partnering with smart lock and home accessory maker, August Home, giving it access to our most intimate places (yes, that includes our fridge).
How does this work?
Walmart aims to get the order straight to your fridge using a one-time password provided by August Home. This allows the delivery person to enter your home, leave the food in your fridge, and place whatever’s left in the foyer. Homeowners will be told when the delivery is on its way, and then be able to monitor the process through cameras in real-time.
Not one to be left behind, Amazon announced last Friday it was partnering with Olo’s, a food delivery company serving chains like Chipotle and Applebee’s. Now, the company will be competing not just with supermarkets, but also food delivery services like GrubHub and Eat24.
The question remains in whether Walmart’s service will will win the trust of consumers.. Many of us wouldn’t be comfortable with letting a stranger walk into our homes, even if means they’re making our lives just a tiny bit easier.
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