Drive thru, Walmart, Smart idea?
Walmart’s new concept of purchasing grocery is out of the ordinary. They have released a new service, free of charge, where customers can enter a drive-thru for their groceries. We’ve all heard of drive-thrus in the fast food industry; however, a drive thru for groceries is my first. Walmart’s new marketing strategy targets consumers who do not have the time to go in store and spend hours looking for goods. Walmart’s drive-thru service is a simple concept. Consumers shop online and then they can pick up their order by notifying employees of Walmart at an order-using kiosk. Walmart envisioned this to be a great way to “make the most of its digital platform, [and] to acclimate more customers using it.” I personally recognize this to be an excellent method to communicate with customers because this opens a whole new online market, earning more profits and the information gathered through consumers’ orders will allow Walmart to develop future marketing strategies catered to its consumers preferences. However, this scheme may not be as successful as they have anticipated. Customers may not be attracted to this form of shopping online because some consumers would rather have the option to select their own goods directly, especially with meats and perishables. Nonetheless, Walmart is a great example of a company showing signs of innovative techniques to expand their market.
