Searcy Walmart Supercenter began their online pick-up service on Wednesday March 28. The service allows customers to order their groceries online and pick-up their order at the store without having to get out of their cars. The grand opening followed the ribbon cutting and celebration that took place Tuesday March 27.
According to the Walmart newsroom site, Walmart began opening pick-up centers to enhance their shopping services in a way that saves their customer’s time.
Phillip Slavin, site manager for Searcy.com, said the pick-up service benefits Searcy because of its central location for smaller towns and being family-oriented.
“A lot of people travel to Searcy to go to work or to run errands,” Slavin said. “The pick-up service is giving people a chance to actually get everything done in one day.”
The Walmart press release also stated that their pick-up service is a way to enhance time management for their customers.
To use the pickup system, customers can select the “Walmart Grocery” section of the Walmart website. Users can then select a time slot to pick up their order up to three weeks in advance.
Emily Hudkins, assistant director for The Mitchell Center, said that as a mother of three young kids, she is excited about the new service, and plans to use it to get groceries without having to bring her kids to the store.
“I have family in bigger cities who have used the Amazon service and loved it,” Hudkins said. “I am excited to have a pickup service in Searcy to save time where I can set up routine orders.”
Slavin said Amazon’s service does not work well for small towns like Searcy, but Walmart’s service is beneficial.
“Doing things on a mobile phone is not a new or strange thing,” Slavin said. “It’s another way they are keeping up with the times and relating to us.”
Orders are fulfilled by Walmart employees who call customers when their orders are ready. At Walmart Supercenter, there is a row of parking spots designated for pickup orders where customers can park and have their groceries brought to them.
