Walmart Inc. announced today that it’s expanding its InHome delivery service to more people in the U.S. and by the end of the year will be sending goods to 30 million households, up from 6 million today.

The service, which brings groceries and other goods straight to a person’s fridge or counter, will now need an  additional 3,000 delivery drivers. Walmart said it’s in the process of acquiring a new 100% all-electric fleet to do the job, thousands of which will come from the General Motors Co.-backed outfit BrightDrop.

“We’ve been operating InHome in select markets over the last two years and have found it is a perfect solution for customers who want to live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile at Walmart U.S. “Identifying ways to help our customers save time and money is our purpose, and nothing showcases that better than InHome delivery.”

The service will set customers back $19.95 per month or $148 yearly, which Walmart says includes a built-in tip fee for drivers. If people don’t already have a smart lock or garage keypad, they can pay another $49.95 for one of Walmart’s smart locks.

InHome is very similar to Amazon.com’s service Amazon Key, which was launched in 2017. Members can order items online and a driver will take those items to the fridge or a countertop after letting themselves in the house using the smart key. The convenience, of course, is that you don’t have to be home to collect the goods.

Drivers will wear a camera, which through Walmart’s app will let customers watch the process of the delivery – if they’re worried about a stranger walking around in their house. The drivers will also wear protective shoes so as not to make a mess on the floor. Once the items have been placed where the customer has asked, the driver will then wipe down any surfaces that have been touched.

“This new role is yet another example of how technology is enabling us to offer new career opportunities that just didn’t exist a few years ago,” said Julie Murphy, executive vice president and chief people officer for Walmart U.S., in reference to the thousands of new drivers that will be required to do this.

Those drivers will be employed on a full-time basis and receive the associated benefits. Prior to starting the job, all the employers will receive training, which will include virtual reality training. The company also said they’ll be paid 9% more than the average Walmart employee wage of $16.40 an hour.

Photo: Walmart