Today, Walmart announced its grocery delivery program InHome is now available as an add-on to Walmart+, the retailer’s membership service that allows for free shipping. Before, the two memberships were separate services, but they are now combined into one experience for an additional fee.
InHome is different than standard delivery, as it allows customers to have groceries delivered, not just to their door, but into their home by a Walmart associate accessed via smart lock. Designed for those who work all day away from home with no one to received a door-based delivery, the service is sure to raise eyebrows among some consumers due to its more invasive delivery system. At the same time, this straight-to-the-fridge concept takes even more of the hassle out of grocery shopping.
Today also marks the launch of several cities in which Walmart is launching the InHome service, such as Miami, Austin and San Francisco, so while the service is expanding, it is not widely available across the United States. Walmart plans to continually invest in delivery services, though, and will surely continue to expand into new cities.
The standard Walmart+ subscription costs $12.95 a month, and the new InHome add-on costs an additional $7. Should a customer wish to pay once for the entire year, the two together will cost $138. As online retail and grocery shopping continues to grow, more companies are likely to make similar moves in the delivery space.
