The chain of self-service stores Walmart made an important adjustment in its substitution policies for its delivery and collection service in store
Your online purchases through Walmart will definitely not be the same. The chain of stores is making an important change within its substitution policies.
According to a recent memo, in the coming weeks, customers using store delivery and pickup will pay the list price for substitutions made on their orders.
Prior to this measure, consumers were only charged the price of the items they originally ordered instead of the price of the substitute they received, even if the latter item was more expensive. The recent policy would result in customers paying more for substitutes.
The new policy will also allow consumers to have “additional controls”, allowing them to select and save their own substitution preferences, as well as accept or reject the substitution options presented to them. They will also be able to choose whether or not to receive substitutions altogether.
A company spokesman told Business Insider that the new measures will be phased in gradually. He said that they will not cause problems in customer purchases.
“There will be a little transition period. But in general, this is quite common and we don’t anticipate customers having a problem paying for items they receive from us,” he said.
This comes amid the company’s efforts to increase its share of the grocery market without isolating its customers based on value.
In addition to the new policies, Walmart has also recently announced other measures such as the implementation of Walmart Rewards, the massive purchase of 4,500 electric delivery cars or the association with Paramount Plus to offer this service to subscribers of its Walmart+ membership program.
Other companies that already employ the aforementioned substitution policy include Instacart and Whole Foods.