Walmart will make its own technologies across both digital and physical channels available to other retailers. The company’s move includes integrating Walmart’s Marketplace, online and in-store fulfillment and pickup technologies into the Adobe Commerce platform.
Retailers will be able to access Walmart’s cloud-based services to reach new customers through Marketplace and offer national two-day shipping through Walmart’s Fulfillment Services. The fulfillment option also enables order pickup communications, check-in options to notify store associates, accurate customer ETAs and arrival detection.
The system also will enable better buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) experiences by showing customers store pickup eligibility and available pickup times online, and by helping retailers offer multiple pickup options, including curbside. Associates can benefit from mobile tools that help them optimize the pick path, handle multi-order pickups, validate item selections and manage substitutions.
“We’ve built new capabilities to serve the evolving needs of our own customers, and we have a unique opportunity to use our experience to help other businesses do the same,” said John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S. in a statement. “Commercializing our technologies and capabilities helps us sustainably reinvest back into our customer value proposition.”
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The Adobe partnership is the latest step Walmart has taken to compete with Amazon on its own terms outside of standard retail. The ecommerce giant already powers thousands of other businesses through AWS, from just-walk-out stores to call centers to personalization options. While Walmart might not have the tech base of Amazon, its massive brick-and-mortar footprint and sizeable marketplace, as well as the backing of Adobe, make it an appealing retail partner in its own right.
Both companies also have been making strides in the healthcare space through competing prescription programs. Walmart+ members can order select medications at no cost and receive discounts of up to 85% on thousands of additional prescription items, and Walmart recently launched its own private label brand of insulin.
Amazon Pharmacy offers six-month prescriptions for Prime members, starting at a cost of $6 for common ailments. This builds on the retailer’s other pharmaceutical offerings, which were launched with the acquisition of PillPack in 2018.
