Walmart
, the US-based retailer, has announced its plans to delve deeper into artificial intelligence (
AI
) and drones to enhance the shopping experience for its customers.
During a keynote at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, Walmart announced its plan to expand its
drone delivery
service to an additional 1.8 million households in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area later this year.
The company also announced the new generative AI-powered features that it plans to introduce for its customers.
Walmart has already completed 20,000 drone deliveries across seven states, and the expansion signifies the increasing demand for and efficiency of this innovative delivery method. According to Walmart executives, no competitor has achieved such a high concentration of drone deliveries in a primary metropolitan market.
Walmart to bring new generative AI-powered features for customers
In addition to the drone expansion, Walmart unveiled several AI advancements to improve customer satisfaction. One of these advancements is a generative
AI-powered search tool
for
iOS
users that suggests relevant products to customers based on their queries, whether for a football watch party or a bridal shower.
Walmart has also introduced its "
InHome Replenishment
" feature that uses AI to learn customers' shopping patterns and ensure they never run out of their preferred groceries. Customers with the $20 monthly InHome membership already receive the seamless drop-off service. However, they still have to select their items themselves. The company plans to develop the feature further by using its knowledge of how people buy and consume products, along with customers' shopping habits, to create grocery lists for them. Although this idea is still under development, it shows Walmart's commitment to improving its services.
Additionally, the company introduced a beta platform that allows customers to create outfits and receive feedback from their friends virtually.
Furthermore, Walmart-owned Sam's Club has introduced an innovative twist to the checkout process. Instead of traditional methods like "scan and go" technology or self-checkout, Sam's Club is implementing cameras at store exits to capture images of items in shoppers' carts, eliminating the need to show a receipt to a cashier. Currently available in 10 clubs, this camera technology will be rolled out to more locations later this year, according to Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas.
English (US) ·