Walmart's new AI offering can do your shopping for you
Walmart is stepping up its game with a new AI-powered feature for its InHome replenishment service in the US. The goal? To make grocery shopping a breeze by automatically ordering items based on customers' habits and consumption patterns. For $20 (around Rs. 1,660) a month, InHome members can already manually select items for delivery to their home. However, this AI-driven initiative aims to create grocery lists for them, ensuring they never run out of essentials.
Similarities with Amazon's Dash Replenishment Service
Walmart is walking in the footsteps of Amazon which tried something similar with the Dash Replenishment Service (DRS), announced back in 2015. However, DRS works for items like smoke detectors and laundry machines, while Walmart aims to keep tabs on something as complex as food consumption. Walmart aims to be more responsive to the customer's actual needs rather than shipping items at a fixed time interval no matter what.
AI-powered shopping at CES 2024
At CES 2024, Walmart wowed the crowd with its latest AI-powered shopping innovations. One standout was a generative AI search engine for Walmart's iOS app, which lets users make broader queries. Instead of searching for specific items, customers can ask questions like "What do I need for a party?" and get suggestions from the AI-powered bot.
Shopping cart-scanning device in the works
Sam's Club, Walmart's warehouse store, is working on a device that scans shoppers' carts at the exit to make sure all items have been paid for. This tech aims to replace manual receipt and cart checks by employees, streamlining the process and reducing wait times. It is similar to Amazon's Go stores, which use computer vision to go through the items in customers' carts.
Walmart's drone deliveries to millions of Texas households
Walmart's drone delivery program now covers 75% of the population in Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. The company launched the service in Arkansas in 2021 before expanding it to other places in 2022. Thanks to a weight limit, only small goods like egg cartons, medicines, and birthday candles, can be delivered. Walmart delivers items in 30 minutes or less, with some finished in just 10 minutes. Over 20,000 successful drone deliveries have been completed so far.
Walmart's investment in AI and drone delivery
Walmart's big-picture strategy is all about using AI to make shopping easier and faster. It is also investing in drone delivery technology to speed up shipping times and exploring various AI tools to help users navigate the firm's vast online product selection. By embracing these advancements, Walmart hopes to create an enjoyable and efficient shopping experience - sometimes even eliminating the need for customers to shop at all.
