It could be said that Walmart is one of the department store brands that is most committed to innovation both in its stores and in its service offerings. It has already surprised its customers with the use of drones in its delivery system.
After implementing this innovation in Dallas and Bentonville, it now intends to expand it to more establishments. Its latest bet has been the dark stores, choosing the State of Dallas for its first test.
These are distribution centers without advertising or external signs, where the logistics of orders placed through e-commerce are managed. These warehouses are equipped with artificial intelligence and augmented reality to help employees perform their work more efficiently. In addition, already in 2020, Walmart bet on the creation of Walmart+, competing with Amazon Prime, offering fast and free shipping on orders over $35. What do you think will be the next surprise that Walmart will give?
Walmart
Founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, and still owned by his family, Walmart has managed to position itself at the top of the market. It is a multinational corporation that operates department store chains. Its main attraction is its discounts and its wide range of own and external brands. It has a wide variety of products such as food, beverages, retail, cosmetics, tires, household appliances, furniture, sporting goods, and an endless etcetera.
Walmart has been able to reinvent itself and adapt to technological changes and new consumer needs with great success. It has incorporated home delivery and online ordering into its services and has made a mobile application available to consumers.
What is a dark store?
One of its latest additions includes the use of drones in delivery systems, and the presence of dark stores. But what does this term mean exactly? The dark stores refer to the logistics warehouses that companies have, which do not offer customer service.
Let’s say that it is the warehouse where you can find a large stock of brand products, which can be purchased through digital platforms.
Once the order is placed, the dark store staff packs and ships them. Its use is reserved exclusively for the preparation of online shipments, as a way to optimize the process for both workers and users.
What’s new at Walmart
USA Today has published the news that Walmart is offering to its customers. Its new bet is the dark stores, and it has opened the first one in the state of Dallas. Through it, it intends to optimize orders through its e-commerce platform.
As is the case with this type of stores, there are no signs or advertising on the outside, but the furor it caused is undeniable. So much so that Walmart intends to open another dark store in Bentonville, Arkansas. The attraction of these stores is the use of artificial intelligence and augmented reality to translate requests and search for products.
Other Walmart technology advances
The use of AI and augmented reality is Walmart’s latest bet, but in recent years it has introduced new improvements in the offer of its services and products. Already in 2020, it decided to compete with Amazon Prime, creating Walmart+.
This is a monthly or annual subscription ($12.95 and $98, respectively), through which you can access unlimited deliveries and free shipping costs if the order exceeds $35.
In case of receiving some kind of assistance from the government, there is the Walmart+ Assist subscription, with more affordable prices ($6.47 and $49).
On the other hand, it was one of the first companies in this sector to launch home deliveries using drones. Given its success, it has decided to expand it to more states, and it will soon be available in more establishments.
Undoubtedly, Walmart is an example of technological and logistical innovation, which has invested in the necessary departments to remain the retail chain of choice for consumers in the United States.
