How Does Walmart Grocery & Merchandise Pickup Work in 2024? The Definitive Guide

Walmart pickup service has exploded in popularity due to the unparalleled savings, convenience, and contactless simplicity it offers busy American households and shoppers.

With over 5,000 pickup locations nationwide and rampant year-over-year growth in order volumes, Walmart Grocery is now a go-to for millions looking to save time and money.

This definitive guide covers everything consumers need to know to leverage Walmart‘s seamless online ordering and store pickup system for household goods and grocery essentials.

Why Walmart Pickup is Booming

It‘s easy to see why Walmart pickup has recently hit its stride and surpassed key competitors when it comes to American grocery delivery and pickup.

While over 2 in 3 households used some form of grocery pickup during 2022 according to FMI and Rakuten Ready, analysis shows Walmart capturing more spend and loyalty thanks to key omni-channel advantages:

Ultra-Fast Expansion: Walmart pursuing an ultra-aggressive rollout of Grocery Pickup and Delivery, on pace to offer the service at 3,000 more stores by the end of 2023.

Locational Convenience: With 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart, store proximity and broad national footprint make Walmart Grocery Pickup ubiquitously accessible.

Profitability At Scale: As the #1 grocery retailer worldwide, Walmart‘s established infrastructure allows them to offer pickup profitably and sustainably as order volumes hit critical mass.

EDLP Savings: Walmart‘s Every Day Low Price commitment passes on supply chain savings directly to consumers, maintaining affordable prices despite inflation and supply chain strain.

Compare Walmart Grocery Pickup vs. Competitors (2023)

Data sourced from Bank of America Equity Research, PYMNTS.com, SupermarketNews

As the numbers show, Walmart offers unbeatable coverage, speed, accuracy, and savings versus even the top grocery pickup providers.

Next let‘s explore exactly how Walmart grocery and merchandise pickup works when you place an order, retrieve it at the store, and more.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Walmart Pickup

While long the domain of Instacart personal shoppers and regional grocery chains, Walmart has made online grocery pickup practically mainstream thanks to how seamless and affordable the process now is.

Here is an overview of how to pickup your first Walmart Grocery or General Merchandise order:

Step 1: Create an Online Account

You can order pickup items as a guest, but saving payment info, locations, and preferences with a Walmart.com account makes future orders a total breeze.

Sign up easily online or through the Walmart app with your email, phone #, payment card, etc.

Step 2: Build & Submit Your Order

Shop online or in-app by browsing categories or searching for items directly. Add desired merchandise and grocery items to your cart before proceeding to checkout.

Then select a pickup date/time (usually same-day or next-day) and your closest participating Walmart location during checkout to retrieve items from.

Review your total, payment method, special instructions, substitutions preferences, etc then submit order.

Step 3: Wait for the "Ready" Notification

Once your order is filled by Walmart associates, you will receive a notification via email and text that your "Order is Ready for Pickup." This is usually within 1 hour or less.

If any items were swapped/refunded you can approve changes directly via link before heading out. Easy!

Step 4: Pick Up Your Walmart Order

Arrive at your chosen Walmart location during your scheduled pickup window (typically 1-hour long).

For Grocery Orders: Park in one of the dedicated Grocery Pickup spaces and tap "I‘m here" in your pickup notification. Provide the spot number for seamless curbside dropoff!

For General Merchandise: Head inside to the Pickup Counter and scan order barcode from your confirmation to retrieve bags. Don‘t forget your photo ID if any age-restricted items.

And that‘s all there is to it! Whether you order online on your laptop for next-day pickup or add items to your cart in the Walmart app to pickup curbside on your drive home, Walmart makes getting household essentials quick and convenient.

What Can You Actually Order on Walmart Pickup?

Many consumers underestimate the breadth of products available beyond just groceries using Walmart Pickup and Delivery.

While fresh food is central to Walmart Grocery, you have access to nearly the entirety of Walmart‘s 100k+ item inventory for pickup when ordering online for convenient checkout.

Here are just some of the categories you can skip the store aisles and order online for pickup instead:

Everyday Groceries: Fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, frozen foods, snacks, packaged goods

Household Essentials: Cleaning supplies, paper products, OTC medicine, baby products

Toys & Entertainment: Video games, gaming consoles, movies, books, sports/outdoors equipment

Clothing & Accessories: Apparel for all family members, shoes, jewelry

Furniture & Home Decor: Small and large appliances, storage items, furniture like mattresses and more

Automotive: Motor oil, car cleaning essentials, safety products, replacement parts

Pharmacy: Prescription medication pickup and consultations with on-site pharmacy teams

And More: Season goods, personal and beauty care, pet supplies, electronics, alcohol in select locations.

The key is if you can find it at your brick-and-mortar Walmart, chances are high you can order it online for quick pickup without waiting in a single line or searching crowded aisles.

Expert Tips for Effortless Walmart Pickup

As a frequently-used Walmart pickup customer myself, I‘ve gathered some handy tips for ensuring the smoothest experience:

• Check lead times: During holidays, weekends or busy periods pickup slot can fill quickly or sell out same-day so plan 1-2 days ahead.

• Select substitutions: If out of stocks do occur choose replacement alternatives ensures you complete your full order.

• Bring extra bags: For large grocery hauls having a few reusable bags in your car guarantees easy loading into your trunk.

• Wait in your car: Rather than stand outside waiting curbside, pass minutes from the comfort of your vehicle.

• Tip your personal shopper: While not necessary, even $1-2 tips graciously reward the Walmart associate‘s work selecting and delivering your order.

Follow these best practices when ordering Walmart pickup to make omnichannel grocery and merchandise shopping faster and more convenient than any competitor.

The Future of Frictionless Retail Shopping

Given accelerating consumer adoption and preference shifts toward contactless pickup and delivery, expect chains like Walmart to invest heavily in digital transformation.

By leveraging store proximity, operational excellence, and omni-channel tech, Walmart Pickup is poised for tremendous retention and growth.

Look for more visibility into real-time inventory availability, order tracking, personalized recommendations, fresh food quality guarantees, and sustainability innovations in coming years.

Walmart is committed to perfecting pickup convenience and slides seamlessly into American‘s shopping habits – saving them time, hassle, and most importantly money.

So next time you need to restock essentials or even film an electronics order, don‘t think twice about ditching the cart. Walmart pickup is the definition of modern retail experiences as consumer continue flocking to simplified, discounted grocery and merchandise ordering.