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I feel like everything you mentioned is easily worked out once you understand their customer. Assuming they want to go through with the plan: Eh, I think they

I feel like everything you mentioned is easily worked out once you understand their customer. Assuming they want to go through with the plan: Eh, I think they are going to have to offer more than just a break-even on gas to get me interested in going out of my way to deliver a package. But I guess they can try it. You are not likely the person they will be targeting to make deliveries. A lot of their customers barely make ends meet, if at all. Assuming they make a delivery close to their current residence, getting their gas paid for round trip to walmart, even if only a few dollars is a huge amount of money to them. I actually don't see this working at all. Who is liable for the "loss" of deliveries in transit? If the person delivering the order causes a traffic accident, is Wal-Mart partly liable? Will they be checking insurance and driving records before letting someone deliver for them? I don't know driving liability law, and it varies by state, but a company as large as Walmart can either self-insure or contract out insurance. This is a solvable economic relationship that can be worked out. It would have to work more like a pizza delivery situation, where the drivers are actually employees, with a driving history check and insurance, though perhaps using their personal vehicles. That would probably work, but isn't part of their stated idea. Every nit-pick here can be easily solved by professional management. The only question is whether after solving all those issues, it is economical or not.

w1ntermute 14y ago
> You are not likely the person they will be targeting to make deliveries. A lot of their customers barely make ends meet, if at all. Assuming they make a delivery close to their current residence, getting their gas paid for round trip to walmart, even if only a few dollars is a huge amount of money to them. The problem with this is that the Walmart customers who "barely make ends meet" are not that likely to live near the Walmart customers who would pay for this service. It might work in urban areas (where there is less physical separation between socioeconomic classes), but Walmart isn't as prevalent in such places, not to mention the urban poor often don't have cars anyway. For example, I know that I would be willing to pay for this service. But there is no one anywhere near my residence who would be willing to do this for the money.
- joshuacc 14y ago
  As someone originally from a very rural state, it's actually quite common for the poor and the well-to-do to live pretty close together, especially near highways, so the logistics makes sense.
  - wtvanhest 14y ago
    Yeap, exactly. I used to live in Orlando, FL. People in lower income neighborhoods live 100 meters from high income neighborhoods. Additionally, you should not rule out low income people delivering to other low income people.

w1ntermute 14y ago

> You are not likely the person they will be targeting to make deliveries. A lot of their customers barely make ends meet, if at all. Assuming they make a delivery close to their current residence, getting their gas paid for round trip to walmart, even if only a few dollars is a huge amount of money to them. The problem with this is that the Walmart customers who "barely make ends meet" are not that likely to live near the Walmart customers who would pay for this service. It might work in urban areas (where there is less physical separation between socioeconomic classes), but Walmart isn't as prevalent in such places, not to mention the urban poor often don't have cars anyway. For example, I know that I would be willing to pay for this service. But there is no one anywhere near my residence who would be willing to do this for the money.

joshuacc 14y ago
As someone originally from a very rural state, it's actually quite common for the poor and the well-to-do to live pretty close together, especially near highways, so the logistics makes sense.
- wtvanhest 14y ago
  Yeap, exactly. I used to live in Orlando, FL. People in lower income neighborhoods live 100 meters from high income neighborhoods. Additionally, you should not rule out low income people delivering to other low income people.