Digital keys at Walmart
While Lee is speaking from behind the camera, he announces, “We have a new system—the phone.” While she is speaking, a Walmart staffer is using a smartphone to unlock a cabinet that is located within the store.
What is going on is explained by Lee in a text overlay that is superimposed on her video: A UPDATE… The new method at Walmart eliminates the need to wait for assistance; today, all of the employees have access to the phone.
At that moment, the device emits a beeping sound, and Lee makes the following observation: “Doesn’t seem like it wants to open, in your opinion?”
However, these concerns disappear rather rapidly. The employee flips the knob, unlocks the cabinet, and opens it so that the customer can pick up the item that she is interested in purchasing. All right! “There you have it,” she says as the employee takes the item from her and hands it to her.
Companies like Walmart do not need its employees to pay for a business phone. Specifically, they are able to use the Me@Walmart app on their own personal mobile devices.
In addition, Walmart gave Samsung Galaxy phones to more than 740,000 of its employees in the year 2021.
In spite of the fact that cell phones are used for professional purposes, employees are permitted to use them for personal purposes as well. The objective was to simplify and improve the efficiency of the work for the workforce.
In a piece that was published in November 2024, a number of media sources disclosed that Walmart might also permit customers to use this service. In their statement, they mentioned that “certain employees are able to use mobile devices to unlock display cases.”
However, this may not be limited to simply employees. For Walmart Plus subscribers, the ability to open display cases on their own could also be available.
An article published by a media site stated that technology might be made available to Walmart+ loyalty members. According to a multitude of additional sources, “a few hundred stores” have already begun allowing employees to unlock cases by using their mobile devices.
No more waiting around
According to a number of newspapers, customers at Walmart frequently become irritated when they discover that their purchases are locked.
Due to the fact that the store had locked up a $4 battery, one customer stated that they opted to leave after waiting for a considerable amount of time.
They were also dissatisfied with the fact that there was an insufficient number of staff members, which made the wait for a key feel like it would never end.
When it comes to locking up products, there are those who believe that Walmart is gone too far. A shopper was taken aback when they discovered that the washing section was closed up.
Even Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has shut down dozens of stores in 2023 and 2024 due to thievery and poor performance. After CEO Doug McMillon issued a warning that Walmart would abandon areas with high crime rates, this turned out to be the case.
A further factor that could irritate customers is the fact that Walmart+ members are the only ones who can open cases using their mobile devices.
Many individuals are dissatisfied with the “paywalls” that are present at self-checkouts. In light of the fact that certain locations no longer offer self-checkout kiosks, consumers are now required to have Walmart+ in order to successfully scan and pay for their purchases.
What do Walmart clients think?
One of the people who commented on Lee’s video believed it was peculiar that Walmart will allow customers to unlock their purchases using their phones, but they will not accept Apple Pay.
Another respondent mentioned that they would rather shop on Amazon rather than deal with locked things in stores because they do not bother with them. The option to unlock the phone does not induce a change in their decision.
In addition, a Walmart worker mentioned that they do favor the use of physical keys.
They noted that not all personnel have phones that can be used to unlock the door, that different sections require varying levels of protection, and that the phone system cannot always be relied upon, which is why keys are a preferable option.
A different commenter brought up the fact that not all employees are able to utilize the phone unlock option. They explained that even though many employees might have work phones, only a select few members of the team are actually permitted to unlock stuff.
It was also mentioned by another individual that the phones are not personal; rather, they are work devices that Walmart provides for employees to use for chores such as scanning and other retail duties.