Dive Brief:
- Walmart introduced a suite of AI-powered shopping experiences in-store and online in preparation for the kickoff to the holiday season, the company announced last week.
- The Walmart app now includes a feature that lists deals available at the customer’s current store; a tool that lets customers search for items online and receive directions to their location within the store; and the ability to make wish lists that can be sorted by product aisle.
- Customers who use the Walmart app while in-store spend 25% more on average than those who visit the store but don’t use the app, according to Tracy Poulliot, SVP of shopping experiences at Walmart U.S.
Dive Insight:
Walmart’s AI-powered investments span the entire customer experience, from the planning phase through delivery and customer support.
Sparky, Walmart’s AI assistant, now has the ability to suggest purchases for events. Customers can tell the tool what sort of party they are planning, and Sparky will curate a list of food, decorations and other relevant items.
The retailer introduced AI-generated audio summaries for more than 1,000 premium beauty products as well. The summaries include information from product descriptions as well as customer reviews.
Walmart is combining AI and augmented reality with a feature called Shop the Background, which lets customers click on items in product images, like artwork or furniture, to add them directly to their carts. Additionally, the retailer’s Dynamic Showroom tool lets shoppers view different spaces and swap out furnishings to meet their preferences.
Walmart is expanding the use of AI across its supply chain as well. New AI models will soon roll out to stores to help associates manage deliveries more efficiently, and the company is piloting real-time delivery estimates that can narrow down windows to the minute. The delivery feature is expected to fully roll out by the end of 2025.
Customer service is getting a generative AI boost with the retailer’s Customer Support Assistant, a tool that combines intent detection, sentiment analysis, and automated action-taking. The assistant can handle tasks like locating orders, processing returns and offering delivery updates over chat or voice.
Walmart is one of relatively few multibrand retailers making an AI push this season. Only 7% offer AI-powered review summaries on product detail pages, while just 5% have AI-powered shopping assistant chatbots, according to Gartner Digital IQ research.
Shopper interest in the technology is high even if it has yet to make its way to most retailers’ homepages, as nearly two-thirds of consumers say they plan to use generative AI tools during their holiday shopping journeys this year, according to data from Accenture.
