Walmart is undergoing a massive digital and physical transformation as it invests in an end-to-end fulfillment network, including the launch of “next generation fulfillment centers,” deployment of automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), and application of predictive analytics to improve inventory placement, a company executive said Monday.
A major theme of that approach has been turning its single-capability assets into multi-capability assets, Jennifer McKeehan, Walmart’s SVP for end to end delivery, said in remarks at the LINK 2024 Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) trade show in Dallas. For example, it now uses its classic brick and mortar stores as “delivery hubs” that can manage a wide variety of tasks, such as: fulfillment, shipping, delivery, market fulfillment centers, and parcel station operations.
Another example of that transformation has been the company’s expansion of its Walmart Go Local unit, which is a nationwide, white label, delivery service platform for businesses seeking local delivery and last-mile fulfillment.
One client of that service is 1-800-Flowers.Com Inc., the gift delivery service that provides on-demand perishable products such as flowers, cookies, and fruit baskets. That firm’s customers don’t care about the business hurdles or supply chain technologies behind the scenes, but only whether deliveries can be made smarter, faster, and more personalized, said Abhay Patel, president of 1-800-Flowers.
In pursuit of those goals, Walmart Go Local strives to provide professional service both at the shipping and delivery dock behind the storefront—when it picks up an order—and at the end customer’s doorstep when it delivers it, McKeehan said.
