Walmart has a great new service that I think you’ll be excited to hear about! I’ve posted many deals in the past that utilized the Walmart Site to Store Pickup, but we’ve always had to wait several days for them to receive the item into stock from an outside warehouse, even if it’s a product they currently stock in stores.
Not anymore — Walmart just introduced a new Pick Up Today service! That’s right, you can now order online and pick up your purchase at your nearest Walmart location in a matter of hours.
I tried this service out over the weekend and was very pleased with the process. I placed an order for a SanDisk 16GB Flash Memory Card 2:42 p.m. on Saturday. The email confirmation that I received stated that most pickups are ready within four hours of placing an order, so I was very pleased when I received a text message at 3:09 p.m. notifying me that my order was ready for pickup!
I headed for the store and walked back to the designated pickup area. Because I used the text message feature, there was no need to print any paper order confirmation. I simply gave the sales associate my order number and left with my memory card in hand less than five minutes later!
I’ll definitely be using this service more frequently in the future. Not only did it save me a ton of time, but I was able to save a little extra cash by shopping for my purchase through Ebates at my own leisure from home. The only drawback currently is that the items listed as available in stores is a bit limited currently, but as they get the store inventory loaded into the site, this is going to be a fantastic resource!
Will you use the Walmart Pick Up Today service?
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for the time and effort spent creating this post. However, my participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own — always have been, always will be.
Michele
I don’t know about other WalMart locations but the two in my town take FOREVER to pick something up. On the few occassions I’ve used site to store shipping and have gone to pick something up it takes at least 15 minutes to get a clerk to come the area to find my item. One time there was another customer ahead of me, she had been waiting a really long time and together we waited over an hour for an employee to help us – we kept asking and asking and they kept telling us they would send someone but no one appeared. It’s a nice idea but they need to have someone available in that area at all times and when employees are going on break they need to know who to call. Ours now has a touch screen to call someone but apparently no one answers that call. :( Overall I’m not a fan of WalMart they have lost most of my business; I buy what I must from there and will shop elsewhere because of the way they have run businesses out of town and the way they treat their employees.
Cori
I have had the exact same experience 3 times. They had one order so screwed up – The email said it was in, I got there and everything I ordered was in the box, but not on their computer and it took them an hour and 10 minutes to figure how to refund me for a few of the things. Then I got an email several weeks later saying they lost my item and would refund me. Yesterday I waited 30 minutes for an xbox card.
jamie pierce
Just tried this on a pool filter and called the store to verify and they only offer this service on certain items.
Shari Cox
Thanks for the information. Will have to remember this so I can utilize ebates as well as stated. This can really be a time saver.
BTW, I always read and appreciate your posts!!
Trisha
I don’t necessarily like waiting in line either and at the wal-mart I went to, the photos and shipping stuff was in the same area and they had such a hard time going through photos which caused a long wait time for me, so I’m not so sure I would like this – maybe it wouldn’t be so bad now, since I believe this was around x-mas time.
Keqi
Good to know that! Thank you!
Do I need to specific the store I want to pick up when I place order or they automatic default to the closest store?
Goat Girl
Thank you for this post. We are going on a road trip in a month and I picked out some things online, specifically a small lightweight Rival $6.00 Toaster (great price in case we ruin it!) that can only be bought in-store. I was planning on using this sevice but was a little hesitant. Now I will definitely use it and the text feature.
Jessie
The Walmart near me really needs to work on their customer service in general, so I’ve almost entirely stopped shopping there. Shoprite doubles coupons, Target & CVS offer their own stackable store coupons, and Walmart has nothing comparable, so the other stores get my business. The others (at least the ones near me) all offer a more pleasant shopping experience as well. From what I’ve experienced with Walmart in the past, it would be much quicker for me to head to the store and grab the item off the shelf myself than to order it ahead of time.
m
This service definitely would not save me time – better to just go to the store and find the item myself. Like Michele, our Wal-Mart also has a touchscreen that notifies employees that someone needs assistance. They ignore it. There’s always been at least a 10 to 15 minute wait; once or twice we waited well over 30 minutes. And then when someone finally shows up, they act like they’re being inconvenienced and do not apologize for the delay. Never again.
Convenience? A time-saver? Only if the employees at your Wal-Mart actually care and are efficient. I’m betting that my experiences are the norm.
m
BTW, I’m in south Florida.
andrew
In my experience the rudest customer service is always found in Walmart’s site to store pickup area, if you can find any customer service at all there. i’d rather pick it up off the shelves and wait in a normal checkout line than deal with those are act put out when you want them to do their job.
V. Deanes
Thank you for sharing this news. We will definitely try it. It would be so helpful if the service applied to groceries!…hint, hint :)
Michelle
It would be more convenient and a time saver if their pick up desk was located in the front of the store. Sam’s Club does this, and I love it! Going to Walmart, parking, walking through to the back of the store, then waiting for someone to help me would take more time than if I was buying something that, say, would be located towards the front of the store and I could self-checkout and leave. I do think I would use this for buying a whole list of items at once though. I can never find everything quickly and I always find something else that I *have* to have along the way! :)
Rich Emerling
I tried it, won’t make that mistake again. Ordered an item at noon on 7/3, still waiting for the email telling me to come pick it up. Yes, I checked my spam folder, nothing there either. As others said, better to go to the store and pick it up off the shelf for yourself. Now I have to reverse the charge on my credit card because they tell me I have to come to their store to get a refund for the thing I never received. BS !