Microsoft and Walmart team up to take on Amazon

ronjor · Jan 17, 2019

Walmart taps 4 more delivery companies to help it get groceries to homes

Lauren Thomas @laurenthomasx3 17 Jan 2019
Walmart says it's now working with Point Pickup, Skipcart, AxleHire and Roadie for online grocery delivery.
That adds to its current roster of grocery delivery companies that includes DoorDash, Postmates and Deliv.
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guest · Jan 24, 2019

mood said: ↑

New e-commerce restrictions in India just ruined Christmas for Amazon and Walmart
December 27, 2018
https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/27/amazon-walmart-india-e-commerce-restrictions/
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Exclusive: U.S. voices concern as India's e-commerce restrictions hit Amazon, Walmart - sources
January 24, 2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ions-hit-amazon-walmart-sources-idUSKCN1PI1S6

The United States government is concerned about India’s revised e-commerce regulations and has told officials in New Delhi the policy will hinder the Indian investment plans of Amazon.com and Walmart Inc, three sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.

“There is a very strong undercurrent as to how this should be made a bilateral issue,” said a Washington-based industry source aware of the companies’ thinking.
“This has gone way beyond being a local (India) tussle.”

But Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to delay the revised rules or amend them in any meaningful way [...] The small firms see Walmart and Amazon as a threat to their businesses.
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guest · Jan 25, 2019

Google’s Bid to Battle Amazon Suffers Blow as Walmart Withdraws
January 25, 2019
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...usting-e-commerce-alliance?srnd=technology-vp

Walmart Inc. has quietly withdrawn from one of Google’s marquee efforts to challenge Amazon.com Inc. in e-commerce.
Walmart removed its products from Google’s Shopping Actions service, the internet giant said on Thursday. The retailer also recently dropped out of Google Express, a related delivery service.

Losing Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is a blow for Google. Walmart has emerged as one of Amazon’s main e-commerce competitors.
Building more of its e-commerce capabilities in-house may have reduced Walmart’s need to partner so closely with Google. For instance, if the retailer is running its own deliveries from stores, it’s less likely to work with Google Express.
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guest · Feb 1, 2019

Amazon and Walmart hit hard after new e-commerce rules in India restrict sales
The two companies have pulled thousands of products off virtual shelves
February 1, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/1/1...pkart-india-e-commerce-rules-regulation-chaos

According to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, a last-minute rush to comply has caused chaos. Both Amazon’s Indian site and Walmart’s Flipkart (a local retailer the US company bought a majority stake in last year), have pulled thousands of products offline.

The legislation was outlined last year but came into force on Friday. The Indian government introduced the rules in order to level the playing field between global tech giants and domestic sellers. As a result, foreign online retailers are now banned from negotiating exclusives on products, or from selling items via vendors they hold an equity stake in.

Both companies previously petitioned the Indian government for extensions to the old regulatory regime. Amazon asked for four months’ extension and Flipkart reportedly asked for six months. [...] CNN
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guest · Feb 12, 2019

Exclusive: Walmart, Google-backed Deliv end online grocery partnership
February 12, 2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-end-online-grocery-partnership-idUSKCN1Q10IO

Walmart Inc and logistics firm Deliv pulled the plug on a key same-day grocery delivery partnership, dealing a setback in the retailer’s race against rival Amazon.com Inc to deliver groceries to customers’ homes.

Deliv, which was one of Walmart’s earliest partners with pilot programs in Miami and San Jose, served the retailer with a 90-day termination notice, and the two companies stopped working with each other in late January, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The store operations at Walmart “were a huge problem,” said one of the people with direct knowledge of the matter, adding the retailer could not “process online grocery orders fast enough.”
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ronjor · Feb 19, 2019

Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce sales up 43% in Q4, thanks to growing online grocery business

Sarah Perez@sarahintampa 19 Feb 2019
Most notably, Walmart attributed the strong e-commerce growth to the expansion of its grocery pickup and delivery businesses, and a broader assortment on Walmart.com.
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guest · Feb 23, 2019

Microsoft is teaming up with America’s second-largest grocery chain to fend off Amazon
The partnership will introduce a ‘frictionless’ experience for customers
February 23, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/23/...y-gas-shopping-amazon-frictionless-experience

Software giant Microsoft is teaming up with Albertsons, America’s second-largest grocery chain, to implement a “frictionless” shopping experience for customers. The deal comes as Amazon has been increasingly turning its attention to the grocery business [...]

The goal, according to Microsoft, is to “eliminate the friction customers experience at the grocery store,” by making it easier to find items and reduce wait times, while also helping store employees track their inventory and anticipate when they might need additional stock.
Albertsons has been working to expand its technology offerings, and the companies say that the partnership has already brought along results.

The technology is currently being used in 27 stores, and the company says that it will expand the pilot to more this year. Microsoft says that Albertsons will use its data science to improve its supply chain and logistics as well.
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guest · Feb 26, 2019

Walmart acquires Israel’s Aspectiva, which analyses UGC to recommend products to shoppers
February 25, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/25/w...alyses-ugc-to-recommend-products-to-shoppers/

Today, the company announced that it acquired Aspectiva, a startup out of Israel whose AI-based technology analyses user-generated content, like customers’ product reviews, and combines it with a shopper’s browsing behavior to make product suggestions to shoppers both online and in stores.

“Aspectiva has developed incredibly sophisticated machine learning techniques and natural language processing capabilities, both of which are areas we believe will have profound impact on how customers will shop in the future. Israel is a hotbed of tech talent and innovation. [...]"
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ronjor · Mar 4, 2019

Sam’s Club to test new Scan & Go system that uses computer vision instead of barcodes

Sarah Perez@sarahintampa 04 Mar 2019
In October, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club opened a test store in Dallas where it planned to trial new technology including mobile checkout, an Amazon Go-like camera system, in-store navigation wayfinding technology, electronic shelf labels, and more. This morning, the retailer announced it will now begin testing a revamped Scan & Go service as well, which leverages computer vision and machine learning to make mobile scanning easier and faster.
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ronjor · Mar 19, 2019

The clever way Walmart is trying to beat Amazon

By Katharine Schwab 03.19.19
Walmart is the biggest employer in the country and the largest retail company in the world, but it’s currently locked in a battle for consumers’ dollars with Amazon that dominates online shopping. Walmart hopes to leverage one staggering fact: 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store.
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ronjor · Mar 20, 2019

Exclusive: Walmart's Chief Technology Officer leaves company as e-commerce wars flare

Nandita Bose March 20, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Walmart Inc. Chief Technology Officer Jeremy King is leaving the company, according to an internal company memo, even as the retailer races to transform its e-commerce business and close the gap with rival Amazon.com Inc.
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ronjor · Mar 21, 2019

Pinterest hires the exec behind Walmart's tech transformation

Mariella Moon, @mariella_moon 21 Mar 2019
Former Walmart exec Jeremy King is now Pinterest's Head of Engineering.
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ronjor · Apr 2, 2019

Walmart teams up with Google to offer voice-activated grocery shopping

Elizabeth Schulze @eschulze9 02 Apr 2019
The voice commands work on any device with Google Assistant, including Google’s Home Hub, Android phones and iPhones.
Walmart and Amazon are also competing heavily in the grocery space.
Yesterday Whole Foods announced it will slash prices on hundreds of items, offering special discounts to Amazon Prime members. Amazon acquired whole foods for nearly $14 billion in 2017.
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ronjor · Apr 8, 2019

Exclusive: Mexico's Walmart pressures suppliers on pricing, forcing some to ditch Amazon

Daina Beth Solomon April 8, 2019
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Walmart’s Mexico unit has penalized food companies supplying groceries to rival Amazon, pressure that has forced some to pull their products from the world’s largest online retailer, four people familiar with the matter said.
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ronjor · Apr 9, 2019

Walmart to expand in-store tech, including Pickup Towers for online orders and robots

Sarah Perez@sarahintampa 09 Apr 2019
Walmart is doubling down on its technology innovations in its brick-and-mortar stores in an effort to better compete with Amazon. The retailer today announced the expanded rollout of several technologies — ranging from in-store Pickup Towers to help customers quickly grab their online orders to floor-scrubbing robots. These jobs were, in many cases, previously handled by people instead of machines.
The retailer says it will add to its U.S. stores 1,500 new autonomous floor cleaners, 300 more shelf scanners, 1,200 more FAST Unloaders and 900 new Pickup Towers.
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guest · Apr 10, 2019

The startup behind Walmart’s shelf-scanning robots
April 10, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/10/the-startup-behind-walmarts-shelf-scanning-robots/

Pittsburgh startup Bossa Nova Robotics has been a big player in Walmart’s ambitions for a while now, as well. Back in 2017, the retail giant announced that it would be rolling out Bossa Nova’s shelf-scanning robots in 50 of its stores.

Bossa Nova’s system is capable of tracking boxes and making sure things are where they should be. It’s a surprisingly complex task, especially in stores as large as the ones run by Walmart . It’s also incredibly dull and repetitive — as someone who’s worked in retail, I can attest to this.
Like many in the automation business, however, Skaff balks at the suggestion that the technology will replace human employees — at least in the short term.

“It’s displacing the tedious task of looking for problems, which is really mind-numbing. And in large stores, it’s really hard for a human to compete. Associates have had to do it, because there was no alternative. As soon as we can tell you where the problems are, you can spend your time fixing them, restocking the shelves and spending more time with shoppers.”
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ronjor · Apr 11, 2019

‘How about paying your taxes?’: Walmart responds to Amazon’s challenge over pay

Lauren Thomas @laurenthomasx3 11 Apr 2019
Jeff Bezos issued a challenge to other retailers, not naming which ones specifically, to match Amazon’s pay and benefits.
Walmart’s EVP of Corporate Affairs Dan Bartlett then tweeted: “Hey retail competitors out there (you know who you are) how about paying your taxes?”
Walmart’s minimum wage of $11 an hour, set in January 2018, is still below Amazon’s, which was hiked to $15 in November.
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guest · Apr 12, 2019

ronjor said: ↑

Walmart to expand in-store tech, including Pickup Towers for online orders and robots
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Why Walmart's robot army won't be a job killer
Walmart's robotics push rhymes more with data and digital commerce than it does with job cuts and cost savings
April 12, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-walmarts-robot-army-wont-be-a-job-killer/

Nonetheless, any time a retailer or large employer rolls out a system for automation, the immediate reaction from some segments of society is that these systems are going to take jobs away from real people and that automation is the single greatest threat to the human labor force.

When it comes to its employees, Walmart maintains that its use of robotics isn't a ploy to cut costs associated with a human workforce. Instead, Walmart insists that automation is meant to relieve workers from the boredom that comes with doing repeatable, predictable and manual tasks.
Walmart said through a spokesperson that the tasks being automated are generally positions that are harder to find, hire and retain people to do.

"The technology is automating pieces of work or tasks, rather than entire jobs. As that's happening, we have been able to use many of the hours being saved in other areas of the store -- focused more on service and selling for customers. [...]"
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ronjor · Apr 25, 2019

At Walmart, using AI to watch the store

By Anne D'Innocenzio
Welcome to Walmart’s Intelligent Retail Lab — the retail giant’s biggest attempt to digitize the physical store.
The thousands of cameras are a key feature of the lab, which officially opens inside this 50,000-square-foot store on Thursday. Walmart envisions using them, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves, to monitor the store in real time so its workers can quickly react to replenish products or fix other problems. The technology, shown to The Associated Press, will also be able to track when shelves need to be restocked or if shopping carts are running low. It can spot spills on the floor and even detect when cash registers need to be opened up before long lines start forming.
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ronjor · Apr 29, 2019

Walmart Bets on TV Shows for Families, Date Night in Media Push

By Lucas Shaw and Matthew Boyle April 28, 2019
Walmart Inc. already sells more TVs than anyone. Now it wants to make the shows you watch on them, too.
The retailer plans to bankroll at least a half-dozen original programs over the next year, and will unveil the first few to advertisers in New York this week, people familiar with the plans said. Walmart has talked with several Hollywood studios about rebooting family-friendly projects from years ago, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public yet.
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ronjor · May 7, 2019

Walmart is getting into the veterinary business

By Melissa Locker 05.07.19
Walmart wants in on the $70 billion-a-year pet industry. That means you’ll soon be able to pick up a party pack of Tostitos, a flat-screen TV, hand towels, and get your dog de-wormed while you shop at the world’s biggest retailer. The megastore announced plans to open 100 veterinary clinics in its stores within the next 12 months, adding to the 21 clinics it has today. It will offer services such as exams, vaccinations, and treatments for minor illnesses at discounts of up to 60% off.
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ronjor · May 14, 2019

Challenging Amazon, Walmart launches free one-day online shipping

By Ben Fox Rubin May 13, 2019
The service debuts in Las Vegas and Phoenix and launch in Southern California in a few days.
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ronjor · May 28, 2019

Walmart poaches ex-Google, Amazon exec Suresh Kumar for new CTO role

Lauren Thomas@laurenthomasx3 28 May 2019
Walmart has hired former Google, Microsoft and Amazon exec Suresh Kumar into a newly elevated chief technology officer and chief development officer role.
Kumar starts at Walmart on July 8.
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ronjor · Jun 7, 2019

Walmart's Robots Don't Appear to Be Going Over So Great With All of Its Workers

Catie Keck 06 Jun 2019
The Washington Post reported Thursday that while some Walmart employees working at the roughly 1,500 locations where these robots have been introduced described them as helpful, others claimed the robots made their jobs less enjoyable and made them feel undervalued by the company. These employees described to the paper an increasingly monotonous work environment in which they are effectively tending to and training the robots, and felt limited by the work of performing tasks delegated by machines.
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guest · Jun 12, 2019

Flipkart Uses About 100 Robots to Sort Out Parcels Automatically
June 12, 2019
https://www.india.com/technology/fl...ts-to-sort-out-parcels-automatically-3686345/

“To speed up delivery, we are using about 100 bots (robots) powered by automation intelligence (AI) at the clearing facility to sort the parcels ordered by customers in thousands from across the country,” city-based world retail giant Walmart arms’ spokesperson told IANS.

Flagging the role of technology in speeding up processing the data and sorting the packages using sensors, the company was able to turn around 4,500 shipments an hour at twice the speed, with 99.9 per cent accuracy, said the company in a statement.
The AGVs, which are cuboidal and tiny, move swiftly. As they are fitted with sensors, the 100 odd robots don’t bump into each other but wait as self-driving vehicles do in traffic.

Touted to be the first in India, the robot-based sortation technology is the only one in use in Asia outside China.
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Microsoft and Walmart team up to take on Amazon

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