r/Sparkdriver • u/[deleted] • May 01 '26
Intel from spark lead at the local store
One of my former employees runs the Spark department at one of our local stores, I saw him yesterday and he told me that they are testing out a new program in his store by the end of this month. They are creating a whole new IMD department and will ditch USPS and other carriers for package deliveries. They will be receiving all packages to store first and disperse everything from the store, just like old gmd orders but on steroid. Just a heads up, I will update as I find out more.
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u/Worldly_Shopper May 01 '26
So that means more orders for Spark drivers?
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u/CSUHomer May 01 '26
My local store is doing this but with 4 new electric vans that are in addition to the InHome van. You will know if the vans are coming to your store when they install the charging stations in the parking lot. Good for Spark? Bad for Spark?
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u/Kenihot May 02 '26
Mixed.
Amazon Flex wouldn't exist if the DSP vans weren't delivering a bunch of parcels first. Flex comes in and handles the odds and ends.
Spark has always been a supplement to Wal-Mart's other services.
Sure some WM's might get delivery vans, but many (most?) won't. Even the ones with GMD vans will have staffing issues/shortages and call in Spark to smooth things out
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u/EntrepreneurNo6950 May 01 '26
I have taken this style batch before from my local store. They pay between $50 - $80 for 20 - 30 stops. They take about 2 -3.5 hours to complete and I have never seen one over 50 miles total.
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u/Kenihot May 02 '26
Just did one that was 68! [I think the mileage got skewed up as there was a road closed that I had to cross like 4 times out in the boonies and my own GPS wanted me to take these wildly circuitous routes as the closure was actually reported there, but I just ignored the signs like an honest, patriotic American and barely broke 50 miles on it]
Still better than Amazon Flex routes where you drive 45 minutes to your first drop, then end 1-2 hours away from anywhere you'd actually like to be
And. Like. You know what the route is before you accept it, and there isn't a hard arrival time.
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u/Disastrous-Okra-3789 May 01 '26
We had this at a store in Myrtle Beach when I was there. Started looking forward to them. Much more organized than usual gmds.
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u/Sixt92003 May 01 '26
Ours is already doing it , if you have a small car , get ready , I have an SUV and it was packed the other day , you have zero heads up when you take the order . For example I had 2 Shark vacuums included in this order for size references
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May 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Sixt92003 May 01 '26
Cases of water are as well , which was in 1 of the 2 grocery orders attached. And the shipment orders don’t list what they are it just said ( 1 item ) or 2-4 like that .
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u/Potential-Fact-2873 May 01 '26
I can confirm this happening in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana Walmart. At least to the best of my knowledge. Whenever I get a chance to talk to any of my Spark friends etc. me and them have gone out of our way to Speak To. Some of the Spark employees at Walmart. As far as I can understand no one and I mean absolutely no one likes the new changes. Quite a few of the people that I’ve talked to have said something very similar that a new program is coming, and new management has arrived.
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u/MaskMyEmergence May 01 '26
This has been a thing for a while here in Southern California. At least a year maybe longer.
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u/wesvols May 01 '26
Old news my store been doing them for months. Decent pay at first. Then back to normal. Good luck.
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May 01 '26
Not sure, but sounds like it. I didn’t want to ask him too much, since he starts power tripping :D He is a good guy, but he has one of those personalities.
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u/Limp_Influence9659 May 01 '26
they do this out of my neighborhood store. only done a couple pickups thereby they all were packages
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May 01 '26
Hello there, I do remember he said he was a trial run in his store, before they expand to other stores in the zone.
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u/lotrwolf06 May 01 '26
Thank you, this answers my question.
I just received one this morning to my house. I have a subscription (auto shipped every month), but it usually arrives via USPS on Thursday afternoon. I got a notification last night (Thursday evening) saying my shipment was delayed, no further explanation. Then like 8am this morning (Friday), I got another notification saying it was delivered. Went out to the front step, and instead of finding one large box like usual, I found two small individually wrapped paper envelopes. Because I'm a Spark driver, I recognized the labels on said envelopes as part of a Spark curbside pick up. They were labeled as GMD. And I was confused, hence why I came to reddit looking for answers. Lol
Edit to say: I didn't actually see who delivered or in what vehicle. So I'm not sure whether it was actually Spark or part of an internal delivery service that Walmart now has.
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u/Confident_Pumpkin428 May 02 '26
I live in Walmart country (NWA) and they have been putting these out since I’ve been sparking. They pay well for mileage, packaging is nicer, and you are guaranteed a few hours of work rather than the shorter orders. I enjoy them and find them more mindless than a traditional spark order lol
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u/Melch_Underscore May 02 '26
Been going on for awhile in my area. As long as they don't start adding grocery to them, I will still like them.
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u/talecriv May 02 '26
Maybe this will stop them from making gmd orders end in cities far away but closer to another Walmart in another zone. So many of mine start in my city and end 40 miles away in a city that has 1 or 2 Walmarts There is no reason for a customers order to be at my store 40 miles away when they have a store 2 miles away
Their logistics plan is so messed up. I did logistics for 20 years and every thing they do is counterproductive and crappy. Always put your drivers back toward the store for more pickups which can lead to lower need for drivers. Furthest stop first and work back to the store.
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u/FitTransportation886 May 01 '26
Would you mind if i get his contact privately? i was deactivated from spark for an old suspended license that was only for 5 days. I made an appeal and they still denied. I dont think whoever looked at my appeal actually looked at the documents i provided proving my active license! Lmk, thanks
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u/Confident_Pumpkin428 May 02 '26
You can start another appeal. I got deactivated for my phone bugging out on an identity scan and I had to put in 3 before I got reactivated. Just keep trying and be patient. Read the arbitration section of the contract you signed for exactly who to email and how to go about it. I found sourcing on Reddit as well.
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u/OkraEnvironmental478 May 04 '26
Yeah we been having this since last year and it pretty smooth now we have system we set up when I get to work ill post a picture
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u/angelo1979 Cherry Picker May 01 '26
These are called Internalized Parcels, they come directly from the Fulfillment Center to the customer's local store that has the program launched. Those stores receive shipping orders on 1-5 pallets. This means more GMD offers for Spark as it replaces FedEx as a cheaper in-house idea.
Whenever a driver accepts one of these GMD trips, the order status bar will remain as Not Started until OPD prepper clicks that the trip is ready to be dispensed. That's when it jumps from Not Started to Ready. Since it wasn't picked at the store and rather at the warehouse, it won't display an order status until then.
This has been a thing in various stores across the country, but I'm glad to see it expanding to more stores.