Walmart Reveals Tech-Powered Plans Including Drones, AI, and AR

The game of retail has witnessed a massive shift due to the demand for a combined online and offline experience. As we increasingly crave ease and enjoyment in our shopping journeys, retailers like Walmart are stepping up to redefine commerce and shopping expectations.

Recently, the tech-savvy wave hit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where Walmart unveiled its latest tech arsenal. The global retail giant aims to shape a new retail landscape, one that puts customers in the driving seat while providing a smooth, satisfactory, and continually innovative experience. Walmart’s strategy hinges on using technology to serve its customers and team members better, ultimately making a positive impact on society.

Underlining its commitment to innovation, Walmart presented a technology map that portrays its vision as a “people-led, tech-powered” company. The primary goal is to create better lives for customers through technological advancements.

At CES, Walmart delighted attendees with a glimpse into its tech-fueled future. Drawing on artificial intelligence, GenAI, and augmented reality, the retail giant demonstrated how it intends to elevate from a typical shopping destination to a customer’s personal concierge. The picture painted by Walmart revolved around three main innovations:

1. An iOS-friendly GenAI-powered search feature, allowing customers to search by use case, offering relevant, cross-category results. 
2. Walmart InHome Replenishment, a service powered by AI and Walmart’s decades of replenishment expertise, delivers the right items at the right time directly to customers’ refrigerators.
3. A beta version of a social commerce platform called “Shop with Friends” that uses AR to enable customers to share virtual outfits with friends and receive feedback.

The essence of these innovations lies in creating an adaptive retail experience. This isn’t limited to product discovery; it’s about delivering personalization, seamlessness, and flexibility from start to finish. 

Walmart also introduced a new technology aimed at eliminating long waits in line for receipt verification at Sam’s Club. This solution utilizes AI and computer vision technology to provide convenience as customers exit the club.

In the pursuit of ultimate convenience, Walmart is extending its drone delivery service to 1.8 million additional households in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, equivalent to 75% of the area. This means that 75% of the 120,000 items in a Supercenter that meet the size and weight specifications can be delivered via drone.