The scene at Selma’s Walmart was akin to a high school pep rally Tuesday morning, complete with pulsing music, cheerleaders and chants, as the retailer celebrated the launch of its online grocery service, which will allow customers to shop from home and pick up their products without leaving the car.

A barbecue grill was parked out front alongside a Coca-Cola trailer, where later in the morning hot dogs, burgers and cold sodas would be served, while inside there was an oversized cupcake display, a DJ churning out bass-heavy songs, a Coca-Cola machine that dispensed sodas for a hug and the Southside High School cheerleading team.

Also on hand were members of the Selma Fire Department (SFD) and the Selma Police Department (SPD), as well as Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheryl Smedley and Selma City Councilwoman Jannie Thomas.

Atop a makeshift stage constructed of Coca-Cola 12-packs and wooden pallets, store leaders took turns offering gratitude to associates and customers and hailing the start of an “innovative” and “convenient” service.

Store Manager James Packer took to the stage first and discussed the “tremendous change” he has seen at the local store over his two years of working there, including the construction of the bright orange pick up tower that sits just inside the sliding double doors.

The new online grocery service, Packer said, is just the store’s latest upgrade.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to reach out and provide a convenience to our customers,” Packer said.

At the close of his remarks, Packer led the enthused crowd in a Walmart chant, the one so familiar to associates attending staff meetings, and was followed on the stage by Tiffany Towns, an assistant manager who will be tasked with overseeing the online grocery service.

“We are extremely excited about this new venture,” Towns said. “It’s going to help the community as a whole.”

Towns called online services such as the one now being offered at Selma’s Walmart the “way of the future.”

The service will require a minimum purchase of $30, with no limit to how much can be ordered or from what department it can be selected from, and will rely on about 10 “personal shoppers” who will collect customers’ orders and load them into cars to be taken home.

In brief statements before the crowd, Smedley celebrated what she called an “exciting day for Selma, Alabama” as this “innovative” service begins being offered to Queen City shoppers and Thomas emphasized the importance of the service to elderly and disabled residents who will now have an easier time shopping for groceries and other essentials.

Shoppers can order groceries up to a week in advance through the service, which is open daily between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., but will need to download Walmart’s online grocery app or visit www.walmart.com to place an order.