TYSONS CORNER, Va.—Walmart InHome customers in select Florida regions will be able to use HomeValet’s Smart Box and app for secure, contactless 24/7 delivery, following a successful consumer pilot conducted with Walmart customers in May 2021, according to a news release.
Offering a secure, temperature-controlled and internet-connected outdoor receptacle, HomeValet's Smart Box allows for unattended delivery of fresh groceries and packages directly to consumers' front door, HomeValet said. Through HomeValet's mobile app and subscription service, consumers can customize, manage, monitor and remotely control their Smart Boxes.
“The rapidly maturing e-commerce market exposed a vital need for increased package security and food safety in supply chain ‘last mile’ delivery to consumer homes, which HomeValet is designed to solve," said John Simms, HomeValet founder and CEO. "By connecting consumers, retailers and couriers to a secure end-point outside consumers' homes, we enable automated delivery of packages, groceries and other goods, and reduce consumers' time burdens of home delivery and offer convenience and freedom, avoidance of logistics issues and capture large scale efficiencies improving the home delivery experience for consumers and retailers.”
HomeValet's Smart Boxes are available for pre-order on HomeValet.co with an initial down payment of $50 to reserve. Smart Box pricing varies by design which customers can customize, and financing options are available. The HomeValet app is available in the App Store and Google Play Store for $15/month.
"The adoption of the HomeValet Smart Box will create a whole new category within the home appliance industry, which hasn't changed much since the introduction of the microwave in the 1970s," said Jack Simms, HomeValet co-founder and COO. "More importantly, HomeValet-powered, IoT connected Smart Boxes will put the control in consumers' hands, so home delivery is designed for the convenience of shoppers, not just retailers."
Last week, Walmart announced it will increase its InHome Delivery Service program from being available to six million households to making it accessible to 30 million U.S. households by the end of 2022.
To support the expansion, Walmart plans to hire more than 3,000 associate delivery drivers this year as well as build out a fleet of 100% all-electric delivery vans. Walmart just announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that it has partnered with BrightDrop to reserve 5,000 of BrightDrop’s EV600 and smaller EV410 electric delivery vans.
Walmart also offers delivery and express delivery on 160,000+ items from more than 3,400 Walmart stores, reaching 70% of the U.S. population. Additionally, the retailer leads the industry in the trialing of sustainable and innovative delivery solutions, like drones and self-driving cars. More recently, Walmart began commercializing its nationwide delivery capabilities through Walmart GoLocal, a white-label delivery as a service business focused on providing third-party retailers and brands an affordable local delivery solution.