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This can be seen in the new shopping fulfillment center at Walmart Store 100 in Bentonville. Alphabet’s retrieval system is used by third-party drivers or drones for pick-up and delivery to improve the pick-up time and accuracy of online orders. (Photo courtesy of Walmart)
It’s been two years in the making, but the new Mall Fulfillment Center (MFC) attached to Walmart store number 100 is now open in Bentonville. It’s Walmart’s second such center of nearly a dozen in the coming years, according to the retailer.
It’s part of Walmart’s plan to increase efficiency by using more automation in its online pickup and delivery operations, as well as improving order accuracy, reducing substitutions and reducing pickers in often-crowded store aisles.
Walmart says it continues to test a variety of MFC prototypes, ranging from fully automated to semi-automated; They also use private consumers with ease. The Bentonville MFC is the latest iteration using bots and humans.
Walmart US CEO John Funner gave a brief speech at Monday’s (May 22) grand opening ceremony. Store number 100 holds a special place in his heart because it is where he started his retail business 30 years ago. Now Walmart is experimenting with technology automation to fulfill online orders, he said.
MFC is powered by Alphabet’s proprietary storage and retrieval system. Tested in 2019 by Alert Technology in Salem, NH. Walmart acquired Alert Technology in October for an undisclosed sum and brought its operations in-house. Walmart believes that the fulfillment of digitization and end-to-end connectivity of its store and supply chain assets will change that, according to Pratibha Rajashekar, Walmart’s senior vice president of innovation and automation.
“Every day we’re creating a better shopping experience, and we’re using technology to help our customers and partners save time on every platform to help them live better. That will lead to improved experiences for everyone, no matter how much they buy – and in the process will drive all of our businesses forward,” Rajashekar said.
Walmart declined to disclose the size, cost or number of employees at MFC.
There is room at the Bentonville MFC to add more capacity. MFC now only processes orders coming into store number 100, but Walmart says the goal is to have one MFC process orders for multiple stores. Personal shoppers previously employed by the store now work in the MFC, which has the ability to store products in three temperature zones.
MFC holds the most frequently selected items for pick-up, the orders are retrieved by Alphabet and delivered to the staging area. Individual shoppers pick fresh items and general merchandise from the sales floor and assemble the order to storage at the MFC staging area. Walmart says MFC offers the ability to quickly fulfill multiple orders and offer pickup or delivery within an hour of ordering.
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