US retail giant Walmart has begun removing its in-store automated parcel tower machines after internal data revealed that customers who want a click and collect service prefer it to be done outside.

As it phases out the parcel collection towers, so Walmart is offering curb-side pick-up services to its online shoppers. It is believed that those shoppers feel safer if they do not go inside due to the hazards of the pandemic.

Walmart had installed the parcel collection towers in 1,600 stores. Some 300 have been turned off or removed while the other 1,300 are being hibernated while the retailer focuses on other services.

“The customer told us they want one pickup spot, and they want that pickup spot to be outside,” said a Walmart spokeswoman.

The removal of the parcel collection towers is also part of a general move away from highly visible automation in its stores, after the company’s data showed that its customers still prefer the human touch when shopping.