Whether it’s at work or at home, things like a smartphone or a car’s voice-activation software free up valuable minutes of your day.
That’s exactly the idea behind something new we’re testing in a small number of our stores: using automation to handle tasks that are repeatable, predictable and manual, like scanning shelves for out-of-stock items, incorrect prices and wrong or missing labels. This new shelf-scanning technology frees up time for our associates to focus on what they tell us are the most important and exciting parts of working at Walmart – serving customers and selling merchandise.
We’ve tested this technology in a small number of stores in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and California. And based on these initial tests, we’re expanding it to an additional 50 locations. As with anything we roll out to our stores, the feedback from associates and customers will guide us in how and where we use this technology in the future.
This combination of people and technology is helping make our stores more convenient and easier to shop, ensuring that products are available when our customers want them. It’s just another example of how we’re using technology to save our associates and customers time.