Walmart shoppers buying electronics and appliances online will soon be able to add on assembly and installation services provided by Handy. The offering debuted this week, with plans to roll it out nationwide through September, according to Bloomberg. The retail giant first partnered with the in-home services company in March 2018 in 2,000 Walmart stores.
The services are currently limited to indoor installations such as hanging televisions or assembling furniture, but they could be expanded to other categories in the future, according to Handy CEO Oisin Hanrahan.
“You’re seeing Walmart — which is traditionally known for a price competitive approach — thinking they need to compete on services,” Hanrahan said in an interview with Bloomberg. “We’ve got a convenience-based economy where people value their time a lot but it’s also just a raw reality that the skills you need to do this work are in decline.”
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Walmart’s move comes as other retailers seek to differentiate themselves by adding services to product sales. IKEA expanded its TaskRabbit services in March 2018 after acquiring the company in October 2017. Best Buy, long known for its Geek Squad tech support, announced plans in June 2018 to take the service nationwide as part of its “New Blue” growth strategy. Amazon offers a range of product assembly services covering both in-home and yard items such as grills, trampolines and basketball hoops.
