Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart and Symbotic, a robotics and automation-based company focused on reimagining the traditional consumer goods supply chain, have partnered to reimagine the retailer’s regional distribution network.
Symbotic first implemented its system in Walmart’s Brooksville, Florida distribution center in 2017. Since that time, the companies have worked together to optimize the system. Symbotic now will begin the process of outfitting 25 additional regional distribution centers with the high-tech system aimed at furthering Walmart’s mission of operating a best-in-class supply chain.
“There is no greater validation of our efforts to use technology to reimagine the warehouse and supply chain than our work with Walmart,” said Rick Cohen, CEO of Symbotic. “We set out more than 15 years ago to dramatically improve America’s legacy warehouses and supply chain to provide better and faster service to American consumers with new career opportunities for workers. Working with customers like Walmart has enabled us to develop this total solution, and with this trust we are now positioned to develop Symbotic-powered warehouses around the country for years to come.”
Walmart’s supply chain is central to ensuring customers can shop when, where and how they want. By implementing Symbotic’s automation system, Walmart will better modernize and digitize its existing supply chain facilities to support evolving customer demand and create a frictionless experience. All the while, the retailer will create training opportunities for associates that open the door for jobs of the future, increase productivity and reduce costs.
Symbotic’s scalable, integrated system deploys a fleet of fully autonomous robots in combination with proprietary software to deliver industry-best throughput and efficiency, while increasing warehouse capacity. With the new system in place, it will help reduce the time it takes to unload, sort and stock freight in Walmart stores.
“The digital transformation happening today, alongside evolving customer habits, is reshaping the retail industry,” said Joe Metzger, EVP of supply chain operations for Walmart U.S. “To serve customers now, and in the future, our business must provide the right tools and training to our associates so they can deliver the items our customers want, when they want them, with unmatched convenience. We’re investing in our supply chain at an unprecedented scale in order to optimize that process end-to-end.”
