Walmart has federated several disparate tech efforts into its latest formalized program: Adaptive Retail. It contains some programs underway, and some still developing, for a cocktail of emerging tech infusions. Altogether the goal is “hyper-personalized, convenient, and engaging shopping experiences.”
The program will apply across Walmart properties (physical and digital) as well as Sams Club, and even some affiliate digital domains such as Roblox (more on that in a bit). The emerging tech integrations themselves will include several-parts-AI, as well as immersive shopping and 3D technologies.
Taking those one at a time, much of Adaptive Retail’s AI efforts will happen through the vessel of Walmart’s gen AI platform, Wallaby. As a large language model, it is trained on Walmart’s extensive reams of product and shopping data to answer a wide range of customer questions or support functions.
For example, Wallaby will have digital assistant capabilities to do things like process product returns in a streamlined way. This not only replaces manual headaches for shoppers but brings some operational efficiencies to Walmart, such as automating customer service (read: human) functions.
Another place AI factors in is as a predictive engine that personalizes shopping experiences. Known as the Content Decision Platform, it can predict future outcomes based on past behavior (basically, the definition of AI), which results in things like individual shopper home pages on Walmart.com.
Testing the Waters
As for the immersive shopping integrations teased above, a new 3D shopping engine called Retina will give online shoppers more dimensional understanding of products, such as virtual try-ons. Built on 3D models of tens of thousands of products, the goal is to give shoppers more confidence before they buy.
One output of this initiative is known as View in Your Home. Using the smartphone camera, shoppers can envision how products look in their own spaces by dimensionally placing the 3D models. This is particularly useful for home decor, especially bulky items that have detailed sizing considerations.
The resulting shopper confidence has been known to boost conversion rates and basket sizes, which is where Walmart’s ROI lies. And because customers get a better sense of items before they buy, it can reduce return rates – an expensive problem (again, bulky items) for the Walmarts of the world.
Elsewhere on the immersive spectrum, Walmart is alpha testing an API in collaboration with Unity, which lets developers bring Walmart products into their games & 3D experiences. This could unlock affiliate revenue opportunities for developers, sort of like how Fortnite and Roblox monetize brand integrations.
Of course, that last part raises implications for the M-word, which has become passe in the past year due to its previously-hyped status. Still, there are some metaverse-like experiences – specifically, those noted above – that are printing money so Walmart is right to test those waters. We’ll see if it floats.
