Walmart has deployed a collaborative ambient IoT (Internet of Things) solution from Wiliot in 500 stores and plans a national expansion next year that will cover 4,600 Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets as well as 40 distribution centers. Wiliot’s IoT Pixels — battery-free Bluetooth sensors — are being used to track Walmart pallets at scale, with the goal of reaching 90 million Pixels by the end of 2026.
The combination of Wiliot’s ambient IoT and Walmart’s advanced AI systems is designed to enhance supply chain efficiency, inventory accuracy and cold chain compliance, with real-time insights revealing exactly what merchandise is owned and where it is at any moment. When the deployment is completed, it will represent the first large-scale deployment of ambient IoT in retail.
“With Walmart, we are advancing supply chain performance at an unprecedented scale,” said Tal Tamir, CEO of Wiliot in a statement. “This nationwide deployment adds a new layer of digitization to Walmart’s supply chain, empowering associates with real-time insights and automation that drive greater efficiency, accuracy and responsiveness.”
The deployment already has eliminated some manual tasks and made an impact by delivering automated alerts that help Walmart associates act quickly and make smarter decisions. The enhanced visibility also has helped resolve inventory discrepancies, a key challenge for big-box retailers.
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While IoT and related RFID technology have long been touted as the key to solving supply chain and inventory management challenges, adoption in retail has remained somewhat low-key. In December 2024 The Fresh Market deployed IoT as part of its efforts to improve inventory management.
