Walmart is creating 40 post office-like "parcel stations" at its delivery hubs to help employees get online orders to customers' homes faster and more efficiently.
The Bentonville-based retailer said in a news release Tuesday that some of these stations are already in place in time for the busy Christmas shopping season, with the rest scheduled to open by the end of December. Walmart said it plans to add more locations next year.
Home delivery is customers' preferred online fulfillment option, said Jennifer McKeehan, senior vice president of transportation and delivery for Walmart U.S.
McKeehan said moving more online orders through parcel stations benefits customers, employees and the business.
"For customers, parcel stations give them more time to place online orders on a greater assortment of merchandise for next-day delivery," she said. "For associates, we're making it easier and more efficient to distribute online orders from stores."
"Collectively, the entire process builds density to lower the cost of delivery, which we can reinvest back into the customer experience," McKeehan said.