Walmart is rolling out a new feature in Southern California that provides a faster way to pick up merchandise that was bought online.
The report also indicated that the pickup towers will connect to pickup lockers to hold larger items such as televisions.
By scanning a barcode from their phone at the kiosks, customers are able to receive the ordered items within a minute or less.
“You walk up, it probably takes 2 to 3 seconds. Once you scan the code to find the item in the tower. And probably another 2 to 3 seconds for it to [deliver] up here,” said Tiffany Wilson, Walmart Director of Communications.
The tower is similar to a vending machine, except that items don’t just drop down.
“Inside the Pickup Tower, it’s made of a series of trays. So your items are loaded onto a tray. And the tray itself is gently brought down to the window where you can pick up your items,” said Wilson.
Since the rollout of 200 pickup towers last year, Walmart has decided to expand it to 500 additional locations after receiving positive customer feedback. Southern California plans to have five locations for the new feature, said Walmart’s statement.
Wilson said the company is also working on other new services, such as testing vehicle delivery in Arizona.
