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Multinational retail company Walmart is set to launch an unusual delivery service.
In September, Walmart announced its collaboration with security device manufacturer August Home for a new delivery system. This system lets customers remotely grant delivery staff access to their homes to deliver their orders.
According to a Walmart representative, existing August Home customers may participate in the service’s trial by purchasing products from Walmart’s website. Upon payment, a staff from third-party delivery start-up Deliv will be notified to pick up the products from Walmart and deliver them to the customer’s house.
The Deliv staff will be asked to key in a one-time password to August Home’s “smart locks,” or locks that can be controlled using a smartphone. The Deliv staff will then be able to enter the customer’s house and place the products inside the refrigerator. The house’s door automatically locks once the delivery is completed.
The service ensures that customers can keep an eye on the entire delivery process through the August Home app. This app is connected to security cameras placed in designated areas of the house.
Although some have raised security concerns about the service, Deliv CEO Daphne Carmeli assured that a thorough staff screening will be conducted. All transactions with their staff will also be recorded.
Apart from Walmart, other businesses have attempted to develop unconventional delivery services. Iceland-based online platform AHA teamed up with drone delivery service provider Flytrex to hasten its delivery process. Meanwhile, popular restaurant chain Pizza Hut launched ‘Pie Tops,’ a peculiar pair of smart shoes that allows customers to place an order by pressing the shoes’ built-in button.