Montana Shoppers May Soon Benefit from Walmart’s New Tech

If you’ve ever gone to purchase a $12 razor in a Montana Walmart and instead found yourself standing in front of a case waiting for someone with a key to let you in, you understand why it is such a hassle. But that hassle may be about to change.

Walmart is piloting a new system in select stores nationwide in which workers can unlock secured items. Things like razors, electronics, and baby formula. All by simply using a special app on handheld devices. That savings translates into less time flagging down an employee and more time in and out of the store.

This tech has yet to show up in Montana. They are currently testing this new tech in Illinois. With theft rising and employee shortages still hammering retail, stores are seeking ways to stem losses without going nuts on customers.

The app allows an employee to unlock a case on his or her phone rather than with a physical key. The point is to make the process faster, so you aren’t standing in aisle 12 as if you are waiting for concert tickets in 1998.

Walmart’s move is part of a larger strategy to update their stores, cut down on thievery and enhance consumer experience. Shoppers in Montana, where a trip to Walmart can be a 40-mile round trip, see any time savings as a big deal.

No date yet when exactly Montana Walmart locations might catch these changes, but keep an eye out the next time you’re buying dog food and deodorant.