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Walmart Tests Pickup Vending Machine At Rogers Store

ROGERS (KFSM) — Walmart has created a large vending machine in hopes of reeling in the largest generational group in the country. The pickup machine, whic...

ROGERS (KFSM) -- Walmart has created a large vending machine in hopes of reeling in the largest generational group in the country.

The pickup machine, which remains without an official name, is playing catch up to the changing ways that millennials are shopping at retailers.

Stationed inside Walmart store number one, off Walnut Street in Rogers, the large orange pick up machine is hard to miss.

It currently is the only one located in any Walmart around the world, and remains in test mode. A growing demand for online shopping and picking purchases up in-store has the retail giant finding ways to streamline the process.

"We're jumping up from one or two [in-store pickups] a day to 15 to 20," said Justin Wright, manager of the pickup department. "That's just pickups today."

Only general merchandise, which excludes grocery items, can be added to the machine.

The process starts when a pickup order is submitted online to the Walnut St. location in Rogers. Employees are then notified and retrieve items for the order, wrap it or box it, and then put it in the machine.

"As soon as it's been processed and BIN'd, the customer will be notified within 15 to 20 minutes," Wright said. "When they arrive, they'll check in and an employee will help get their order."

Wright said that in other stores, pickup items are behind the customer service desk, but using the pickup vending machine has already proved to be a time-saver for both employees and customers.

No extra cost for using the service is added to a customers bill.

"It helps the customer, in and out, even if they're done shopping, they can pick their stuff up," Wright said. "It's very time saving, and it doesn't keep your associates locked down so they can help in other spots."

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