Artificial Intelligence Set to Dominate CES Tech Show
CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual technology show, begins this week in Las Vegas.
Make purchases at Walmart and Sam’s Club is about to get easier.
Walmart on Tuesday unveiled several new and upcoming offerings aimed at improving the customer experience, from AI-powered generative search tools to technology that will eliminate receipt check lines at Sam’s Club.
“We build technology to serve people, not the other way around,” Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon said in a press release. “Walmart’s purpose is to help people live better, and now more than ever, technological advances make it feel like anything is possible.”
McMillon took the stage Tuesday afternoon at the CES convention on consumer technologies in Las Vegas to showcase the company’s latest innovations.
AI-powered receipt verification at Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club’s new AI-powered technology aims to eliminate long lines for receipt checks near exits.
The retailer plans to leverage AI and computer vision technology to confirm that members have paid for all items in their cart. Sam’s Club has launched the technology at 10 locations in a pilot program so far, and plans to expand it to its nearly 600 clubs by the end of the year.
“At Sam’s Club, we care about every second a member spends with us, so eliminating even the few seconds it takes to scan a receipt at the exit door is worth it,” said Megan Crozier , chief merchant of Sam’s Club, at CES.
CEO McMillon acknowledged that some of Walmart’s innovations will change employee roles.
“There is no doubt that some tasks will disappear and some roles will change. And some of them should, like those that involve lifting heavy weights or performing repetitive tasks,” he said . “As that happens, we design new roles that our associates tell us are more enjoyable and satisfying and that also often result in higher pay.”
More Walmart delivery drones in Texas
After more than 20,000 drone deliveries over the past two years, Walmart is expanding its service to an additional 1.8 million households in the Dallas Fort-Worth metro area. The company says this is the first time a U.S. retailer has offered drone delivery to so many homes in a single market.
“Drone delivery is not just a concept of the future, it is happening now and will soon be a reality for millions more Texans,” said Prathibha Rajashekhar, senior vice president of innovation and automation at Walmart US, in a press release. The new hubs are expected to launch in the coming months, and the expansion will be completed by the end of the year.
About three-quarters of items in Walmart Supercenters meet the size and weight requirements for drone delivery, with items delivered in 30 minutes or less. Deliveries in Texas will be made through partnerships with on-demand drone delivery providers Wing and Zipline.
Walmart also offers drone deliveries in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Utah and Virginia.
AI-powered tools
Walmart announced Tuesday that a new AI-powered generative search experience is now available on iOS and available on all platforms later this quarter.
The new search allows customers to search by specific use cases. If a customer is hosting a Super Bowl party, for example, they can search for “football watch party” to find relevant items instead of entering multiple searches for items like chips, chicken wings and soda.
Walmart says the search tool will take into account “a variety of other factors” like location and search history to produce better results.
Walmart also shared details about its new InHome Replenishment tool, which uses AI to help fill customers’ carts with needed items when they need them.
The new offering expands the InHome Grocery Delivery Service launched in 2019, which transports orders directly to customers’ homes, to the garage or to the kitchen refrigerator. InHome Replenishment will use a personalized algorithm to anticipate customer needs and place orders delivered directly to their kitchen. Customers will have the option to skip items they don’t need, add additional items to their order, and adjust their delivery date.
“It’s personalized and adjusts as your needs change,” said Whitney Pegden, vice president of new propositions and pre-deals at Walmart US. “Not only are we going to get you what you need, we’re going to get it to you when you need it and even where you need it, right in your refrigerator.”
Walmart has not yet announced the launch date of this new service.
Virtual tryouts
Walmart also said it is working on a new augmented reality (AR) experience called Shop with Friends.
The social commerce platform is designed to allow customers to create virtual outfits to share with their friends for feedback. Outfits will be displayed on a virtual model similar in size and shape to the customer.
Walmart has not yet announced when this feature will be available.
More EV chargers
Walmart announced plans in 2023 to roll out a nationwide network of fast electric vehicle chargers to thousands of stores and clubs by 2030. Today, Walmart says it plans to begin rolling out the chargers this year.
“Through partner technology, these chargers will be owned and operated by Walmart so we can use best-in-class chargers and deliver a Walmart charging experience. A convenient, reliable and affordable charging experience,” said Vishal Kapadia, senior vice president. energy transformation at Walmart.
