Walmart Investing $520M in AI Robotics Platform to Improve E-Commerce Fulfillment
In a move meant to create an integrated, automated supply chain, Walmart has struck a deal with artificial intelligence-enabled robotics technology company Symbotic. Walmart said in a press release it would invest $520 million in Symbotic's AI-powered robotics platform, which will accelerate online pickup and delivery options and develop new pickup and delivery fulfillment systems.
With this deal — expected to close in mid-2025 — Walmart has the possibility to purchase and deploy 400 accelerated pickup and delivery systems, or ADPs, over a multiyear period, assuming the platform performs well.
Symbotic has been working with Walmart since 2017 and already deploys its software and robotics platform across Walmart's 42 distribution centers.
Total Retail's Take: The race to automate retail supply chains is going strong, and AI is no longer just being experimented with. Amazon.com, for example, partnered with robotics software firm Covariant last year to integrate more AI and automation into its warehouse operations. Walmart has been investing in automation for several years, and its warehouses already use automation to pack, store, load and unload product. This latest investment will build upon those efforts, continuing the trend of retailers leveraging technology such as AI and robotics to help them fulfill and deliver online orders more quickly and efficiently. As consumer expectations for speedy and seamless experiences continue to rise, retailers will be looking to technology to help them keep pace.

Marie Albiges is the managing editor for Women in Retail, Total Retail, and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality. She is responsible for content development, management and production for the group. Marie is a former journalist, a travel aficionado, a French native and fitness enthusiast who lives in Philadelphia with her partner, stepdaughter and dog.Â