Walmart Canada is investing $3.5 billion CAD over the next five years to make its online and in-store shopping experiences more efficient.
The investment will lead to a faster e-commerce product experience, two new distribution centres, re-invented “smarter” stores, and modern digital tools to better serve customers.
Walmart says that its new next generation warehouse management systems will meet the future needs of e-commerce customers. The retailer is going to open up a new 550,00 square foot distribution centre in Vaughan, Ontario in 2024.
A second 300,000 distribution centre is expected to open in Surrey, B.C. in 2022. Walmart notes that the centres will leverage next-generation automation technology.
The retailer is going to expand electronic shelf labels and scanners to monitor product volumes and maximize accuracy. It’s also going to create a new checkout experience to reduce touchpoints, including larger self-checkout stations and ‘Check Out With Me’ mobile payment technology to allow employees to checkout customers anywhere in the store.
Further, it’s also investing in IoT (Internet of Things) sensors across over 2,200 trailers to give real-time information about the quality of deliveries.
The company has also launched an artificial intelligence (AI) software in partnership with o9 Solutions, a U.S. company that specializes in decision management software, to more accurately predict volume.
“We are doubling down on our focus on the customer experience — not just to keep up but to lead and to be the very best in Canada,” Horacio Barbeito, the president of Walmart Canada, said in a press release.
Walmart notes that it’s working with Toronto-based DLT Labs to scale its blockchain transportation payments platform. It’s also collaborating with Waterloo, Ontario-based Axonify to use new machine learning training software to support improved training at its distribution centres.
Source: Walmart Canada
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