Benzinga | Jan 5, 2022 01:53AM EST

Walmart To Hire Over 3,000 Drivers As It Expands 'InHome' Grocery Delivery

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) said it plans to hire more than 3,000 delivery drivers and establish an all-electric fleet of delivery vehicles as it expands its "InHome" grocery delivery service.

What Happened: The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant aims to make the InHome service -- which is an important part of the retailer's last-mile delivery strategy -- available to 30 million U.S. households by the end of this year. The service is currently available to six million households through the retailer's app.

Walmart noted that its fleet of all-electric delivery vans that will be used to make the grocery deliveries will support its goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040.

Why It Matters: Launched in 2019, Walmart InHome delivers fresh groceries and everyday essentials into customers' homes, including placing items straight into their kitchen or garage refrigerator. The service costs $19.95 per month or $148 annually.

Walmart touts the service as ideal for customers who want their groceries to be delivered directly to their homes even when they are away.

The Walmart associate uses a one-time access code to unlock the customer's door or garage through their InHome app. The app notifies the customer at every step and a camera, worn on the associate's vest, records the entire delivery.

Rival Target Corp.'s (NYSE:TGT) Shipt also handles last-mile deliveries.

Walmart said in August it is opening its in-house delivery platform, Walmart GoLocal, to other third-party retailers for their last-mile deliveries, tapping a segment dominated by FedEx Corp (NYSE:FDX) and United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE:UPS).

Price Action Walmart shares closed 1.8% lower in Tuesday's trading session at $142.00.

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Photo: Courtesy of Walmart