Walmart is one of the biggest companies in the world, with 4,700 Walmart stores and 600 Sam’s Clubs in the U.S. alone. As a retail giant, it is always on the lookout for better ways to employ technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the shopping experience for its millions of customers, and recently has been developing strategies in this realm.
At Sam’s Club, the membership model is a great data source, providing the company with information about what members are searching for, what they like, what they are buying and when. With this information, Walmart is using AI and machine learning to make sure that their customers get what they want in stock, when they want it. The warehouse chain is using the surprisingly advanced floor scrubbers to capture images of the 6,000 products on their shelves and, through AI, discern the different brands and the inventory positions of each of them. With almost 95% accuracy, when product reaches pre-determined levels, the stock room is alerted which increases product availability to customers.
Walmart has also brought AI to its app, by recognising past purchases, sizes and preferences. Anshu Bhardwaj, Senior Vice President of Tech Strategy and Commercialization at the company, says their aim is to make the shopping experience for everyday items a ‘no-brainer’.
Walmart is constantly researching and developing new ways of using technology to improve its customer experience. Through the insights it is gathering, the data it is collecting, and the AI-powered tools and services it is leveraging, Walmart is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to transforming its customer’s experience.
Anshu Bhardwaj is the Senior Vice President of Tech Strategy and Commercialization at Walmart. An experienced leader at the company, Bhardwaj is focused on developing Walmart’s AI strategy and deploying artificial intelligence & machine learning in innovative ways that improve both the customer and employee experience on such a massive scale. She oversees the research, development, commercialization and implementation of Walmart’s current AI models, and is working to make sure Walmart’s customers get what they want when they need it.
