Walmart Empowers Staff with a New Initiative: Deliver Online Orders for Extra Cash

In an unconventional move, retail giant, Walmart, is trialling a pioneering initiative identified as ‘Associate Delivery’. The initiative is essentially designed to offer employees the opportunity to supplement their income through package delivery at the end of their regular shift.

Outlined in a blog post by Marc Lore, President, and CEO of Walmart’s eCommerce division in the United States, the scheme aims to inject more control and flexible opportunities in the day-to-day roles of Walmart employees.

“This initiative places associates in the driver’s seat. Opting in is entirely at their discretion. Once they’ve decided to participate, we’re providing state-of-the-art technology that enables them to configure preferences. They have the autonomy to determine the amount of packages they can deliver, establish size and weight limits for these packages, and decide on which days they’re capable of performing deliveries after work,” explains Lore. “The preferences can be modified at any point in time. Equally important, we allocate packages in a way that minimises the overall distance they need to travel off their commute to perform a delivery.”

Walmart’s far-reaching presence, boasting 1.5 million employees, accounts for 1 percent of the U.S. workforce. Moreover, the corporation operates approximately 4,700 stores across the United States, with an impressive 90 percent of the U.S. populace living within 10 miles of a Walmart outlet. This geographic superiority facilitates its employees’ access to the company’s drive to mitigate shipping expenses while simultaneously giving them an option to earn supplemental income.

With U.S. online spending forecasted to elevate by 16 percent this year, reaching an impressive total of $462 billion, the company’s strategy could provide a mightier foothold in the surging tide of online retail. Lore reiterated that Walmart’s innovative delivery initiative could not only translate into savings for the company but also holds the potential for symbiotic benefits for its enormous workforce.

The ‘Associate Delivery’ test is currently live in select locations in Arkansas and New Jersey, striving to underscore Walmart’s commitment to redefining the future of online retail by innovating employee-centric strategies.