I have been using Walmart’s Grocery Pickup service for just over a month now so I thought I’d write up my thoughts and opinions on the service.
We recently moved closer to a Walmart and I had been wanting to utilize them for grocery shopping but the store is always so busy and I don’t know how their grocery section is laid out so I get frustrated. Side note, am I the only one who knows the layouts of my favorite grocery stores so I can make my list in aisle order?
So when I saw they had free order pickup for their grocery section I got pretty excited. I went online and clicked over to Walmart’s Grocery section and started adding things to my cart. I started off with just $40 in groceries, including things like Alfredo sauce, honey, and black olives. Obviously I was happy with my experience because I consistently use grocery pickup now. Below, I’d like to touch on a few aspects of the service:
How to Order
Either online or in the app I log into my account and start adding items to my cart. I have ordered meats, pet supplies, cleaning supplies, paper goods, canned goods, you name it. Once my cart is full of everything I need I choose my pickup date and time (it’s a one hour time block). Then I check out using my saved debit card and that’s it!
Substitutions
When you order an item and the picker finds that they are out of stock, they will substitute it for a similar item. I have had mixed success with this one. One order I had my store brand sour cream substituted with a name brand, so I didn’t mind that switch since I was getting a more expensive product for no extra charge. Another time I ordered waffle cut frozen french fries and was given crinkle cut fries in the same brand. In my opinion that one was not an equal substitution because they’re different items (different shape fries have different tastes, change my mind!). Additionally, I ordered a lime shrimp Ramen and was given spicy shrimp Ramen, and I am not a fan of spicy foods so this one was not equal to me.
The good news is you can tell them to take off a substituted item that you don’t like and they’ll refund you. Also, while checking out, you can mark if there is a specific item that you will not accept substitutions for. I do this for baby food and things like Coke where the brand and flavor are important to us. Things like paper towels, honey, and ground beef I will allow them to substitute for me.
Pricing
I find that Walmart generally has some of the cheapest pricing. Stores that I frequent for groceries are Aldis, Target, Weis, and sometimes Giant. Aldis and Walmart are the cheapest to me, then Target because they always have sales and coupons. Weis and Giant are hit or miss for me which is weird, considering they’re actual grocery stores. Overall I’m usually happy with the amount of groceries I get for the money spent at Walmart using their grocery pickup.
Pick Up
You may be wondering how I actually pick up my groceries. I have the Walmart Grocery app and it makes things a little easier. I get a notification when my order is ready to be picked up. I have received this notification/text anywhere from 30 minutes before my pickup time to the minute it started. At this point I check in on the app and let them know I’m on my way. Based off of my GPS location they know how far away I am and how long they have before I’m at the store. At the store I pull into one of the designated pick up parking spots. The GPS lets the associate know I have arrived and they bring out my order. I never have to go into the store! They verify my identity, let me know about any substitutions, and help me load the bags into my car.
Associates
At my Walmart I have had a pretty great experience with the associates that bring out my order. I have only had one associate who wasn’t super friendly but he still did his job professionally. Shoutout to all the pickup associates who have helped me, you guys are great! Especially the girl who came out literally during a torrential downpour to help me load my groceries. You da best.
So overall I am so happy with grocery pickup from Walmart. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn’t have the time or patience to go into the store and get a cart full of groceries. I find it especially helpful for the times my daughter is alseep in the car because I don’t have to move her or wake her but I still get my groceries. I have done orders with 40+ items and have been in and out of the Walmart parking lot within twenty minutes. And just so you know, this post is in no way sponsored, so you know I really love this service!
– Michaela
The Kennedy Nest 