Last updated on November 14th, 2024
Walmart is using artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) technology tools to make the holiday shopping experience faster and more convenient – from discovery to purchase, delivery and returns.
Personalized gift ideas
When customers visit Walmart.com, AI technologies understand their preferences, and GenAI predicts the type of content they’d like to see. In the U.S., if a customer previously searched for board games, they may be shown deals, new game releases or gift ideas.
In the coming year, Walmart will use this same technology to create more relevant and customized homepages for each shopper. Internationally, a new GenAI-based personalization feature offers a broader range of personalized product recommendations for customers to consider buying this holiday season in Mexico.
Walmart is also using AI to identify and vet influencers, then share their content on the Walmart.com homepage for customers to discover items from popular creators.
Shopping assistant, GenAI search tools
Walmart is continuing to expand the beta test of its GenAI-powered shopping assistant, which enables customers to discover, evaluate and decide on the best product for their needs. Similar to a real-life shopping assistant, the tool engages in natural, free-flowing conversations, ensuring customers are confident in their purchases.
The GenAI search experience online and in the app allows customers to browse based on specific use cases (e.g., “What’s a good gift for a 5-year-old boy?”). This generates more relevant and cross-category results – such as a sweater, book and soccer ball – that give customers ideas they may not have otherwise discovered.
Additional technology tools such as GenAI-powered product reviews, summarizations and comparisons are also available to enhance the shopping experience. For example, with Walmart’s AI-driven comparison feature, customers can compare different models when searching for a smart TV, streamlining the decision-making process.
Sam’s Club AI-powered exit technology
Sam’s Club has rolled out its exit technology to all locations, which combines AI and computer vision to scan items as members leave the club, automatically verifying their purchases. This application has sped up the checkout process and represents the largest-scale implementation of consumer-facing AI-powered technology in the retail industry.
The technology reduces wait times and provides a friction-free exit experience for Sam’s Club members. In clubs with the technology , more than 64 percent of members are enjoying the friction-free exit experience, resulting in members leaving the club 21 percent faster.
[RELATED: Sam’s Club Adds AI Exit Technology At 120 Stores]
Expanded holiday delivery
About 12 million additional U.S. households will have expanded delivery coverage this year, thanks to an AI-driven geospatial platform. This technology unifies Walmart’s transactions, network catchment, customer insights and external data into a unique geo-grid composed of data layers. These algorithms create delivery areas for each store based on factors such as slot availability, drive time and store capacity, rather than traditional mileage-based delivery areas.
