Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is testing a program that will deliver items, not just to your doorstep, but into your house. The retail giant has partnered with August Home, a provider of smart locks and smart home accessories, for the test. Customers place their order online, and a third-party driver from Deliv will bring the items to a shopper’s home, using a one-time passcode that’s been pre-authorized by the shopper to allow entry. The driver will then leave boxes by the door and put grocery items in the kitchen, even the refrigerator, before leaving. Customers can watch the process on the August Home app, and will receive confirmation that the door has been locked behind them. The test is being conducted in Silicon Valley using a few August Home customers, according to a blog post from Sloan Eddleston, vice president of Walmart e-Commerce Strategy and Business Operations, posted on the company website. Wal-Mart shares are nearly flat in Friday premarket trading, and up 15.8% for the year so far. The S&P 500 index is up 11.7% for the year so far, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 13.1% for the period.
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