Walmart has recently rolled out its strategy to accelerate Adaptive Retail for its long line of loyal and potential customers. This advanced era of intelligent retail is defined by personal experiences, bringing shopping to customers exactly in the ways they want and need.
Walmart has revealed its plan to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI (Gen AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Immersive Commerce platforms to create hyper-personalized, easy, and engaging shopping experiences for shoppers across Walmart stores and its virtual environments.
To quote Suresh Kumar, Global Chief Technology Officer & Chief Development Officer, Walmart Inc.,
A standard search bar is no longer the fastest path to purchase, rather we must use technology to adapt to customers’ individual preferences and needs. At the heart of our platform strategy is developing common global core capabilities that are built once and deployed across Walmart US, Sam’s Club, and Walmart International. As a global company with multiple business segments, this enables us to move with speed as we bring consistent experiences to all our customers and members.
Walmart has been fashionably known for its adaptive and future-oriented mindset for sellers and shoppers alike. They have recently developed a system of proprietary Gen AI platforms to power Gen AI technology to create advanced customer-facing experiences.
Harnessing a combination of Gen AI platforms, Walmart has also invested in creating a personalized version of its AI-powered customer support assistant. This new version of customer assistance will recognize who the customer is right from the start and will go beyond understanding the customer’s intent to taking actions, like managing returns. Walmart is actively building dozens of additional Gen AI tools for its customers, members, associates, and partners that leverage its Gen AI platforms.
Customizing Walmart.com for Every Shopper
Personalization in online shopping is a key enabler with more and more customers craving personalized recommendations and experiences. Walmart has curated a Content Decision Platform that will serve as a foundational tool to create shopping experiences tailored to each customer. Walmart uses AI-based technology to understand the customer and a Gen AI-powered tool to predict the type of content a customer would like to see on the site.
This technology aims to create a unique homepage for each shopper, which will make their online shopping experience as personalized as walking into a store designed exclusively for the customer. This new technology adoption by Walmart and its expansion across Walmart international’s markets is bound to set a new standard in global retail.
All That Meets the Eyes
Walmart has always been aware of the notion that retail today goes beyond just online or in-shopping experiences. It’s even more than a blend of these two – it’s about meeting the customers in a place where they require it. In the expansion of this notion, Walmart has recently developed an AR platform called Retina, which leverages AI, Gen AI, and automation to create 3D assets, along with Immersive Commerce APIs. These technologies will enable Walmart to experience into a new virtual social environment and be at the forefront of Adaptive Retail.
And Walmart isn’t stopping here. Walmart has some leading-edge plans circling AI and automation, to bring forth next year to create a more interactive experience for customers and members.
Being people-led means we start with the human need, and often, a combination of technologies like AI, Gen AI, AR, and Immersive Commerce, is the key to the solution. Our customers guide us, and with these platforms, we’re ready for whatever they need, quoted Kumar.