“Retail Rewired,” Walmart’s new online case study on how it’s integrating technology into virtually all its operations, begins thus:
“Ever wonder how your order shows up early, your favorite items stay in stock or a store associate finds exactly what you’re looking for? That’s AI, automation and smart tools working quietly behind the scenes. Hour by hour. Aisle by aisle.”
Then, the study proceeds to take readers through how tech is incorporated into its operations over an 18-hour period, presented in condensed form below. (Click here to see the full presentation.)
Palestine, Texas 5:00 a.m.
In a high-tech distribution center, an Automated Defect Detection System inspects packaging and product quality with speed and precision, flagging issues like loose tape, crushed or bulging boxes, poor perforations and barcode problems. After inspection, each case is automatically sorted and stacked by our AI Pallet Builder, which uses store order data to optimize how products are grouped, packed and shipped.
Hopkinsville, Ky. 7:30 a.m.
A Dispatcher System plans one of the retailer’s private fleet truckdriver’s route based on his/her hours, location and availability. At the same time, a Load Planner made sure their trailer was packed for efficiency, maximizing space while also ensuring temperature-sensitive items stay fresh. It also accounted for weather and traffic, adjusting in real time to keep the driver on schedule.
Somerset, Ky. 10 a.m.
At the retailer’s store # 689, a technician gets an alert on his phone: a refrigerated case is likely to fail. There’s no visible sign, but the store’s Digital Twin saw it coming. The system uses AI to monitor real-time conditions and flag potential issues before they happen.
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Cypress, Texas 1:30 p.m.
At this new Supercenter, a store lead uses Find with RFID to locate products in seconds, whether they’re on the sales floor or tucked in the backroom. When a customer needs green shorts in size medium, but only XLs are on the rack, the lead keys in the item’s digital code, the system confirms it’s in stock and then guides him/her to the item’s exact location.
Bentonville, Ark. 4:30 p.m.
At a Walmart customer care center, a support associate taking a call for help from a customer gets a variety of information from Walmart’s GenAI Customer Support Assistant, including verifying the caller’s account, recent orders by the customer, and flagging potential issues. Once the problem has been identified, the system then launches the CES Customer Flow to determine the best workflow to resolve the problem.
Salt Lake City 8 p.m.
For customers inputting orders for at-home delivery, Walmart’s Dynamic Delivery algorithm kicks in before they have even tapped the option. That system analyzes neighborhood traffic patterns, in-store item locations, current weather conditions, order complexity and years of delivery data to calculate the fastest possible route — in seconds.
The report concludes: “You don’t have to see the technology to feel the impact. From the moment a product hits our supply chain to the second it reaches your cart or home, AI and automation are working quietly in the background. And these are just a few of the thousands of tools powering faster service, smarter decisions and better experiences across every aisle, every app, every day.”
