Walmart is experimenting with artificial intelligence to enhance customers' shopping experiences

LAS VEGAS — Walmart has unveiled plans to delve deeper into the world of artificial intelligence — and drones — to improve its customers' shopping experiences.

In a keynote Tuesday at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, the nation's largest retailer announced it will expand its drone delivery to an additional 1.8 million households in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area later this year. Drones are nothing new for Walmart — which has already completed 20,000 drone deliveries across seven states so far — but company leaders say this expansion is a sign of growing demand and efficiency.

Walmart executives said no other competitor has come close to this kind of concentration of household drones in a large metro market.

The company also gave a glimpse of “InHome Replenishment,” which aims to use artificial intelligence to learn about consumers' shopping habits and keep them stocked with their favorite groceries, as well as an experiential platform that allows customers to create clothing virtually and get feedback from their customers. friends.

Meanwhile, Sam's Club, which is owned by Walmart, has a new twist on its checkout process — whether it's using “scan and go” technology, self-checkout, or just using a traditional employee register. Instead of stopping at a cashier to show a receipt, cameras at store exits capture an image of what's in shoppers' carts to confirm purchases.

This camera technology is available at 10 clubs so far, according to Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas, and will be rolled out more later this year.