News

Walmart debuts Intelligent Retail Lab within Long Island store

June 6, 2019

Walmart Inc. has launched an Intelligent Retail Lab inside a Neighborhood Market store on Long Island, New York to test innovative store technology.

The lab system, according to an Associated Press report, features thousands of cameras, shelf sensors and a monitoring system to help store associates respond faster to store issues such as empty shelves and aisle spills. The system alerts associates, via smartphone, on issues such as over ripening bananas and when shopping cart inventory is low. The cameras do not track shoppers or involve facial recognition, according to AP.

"We really like to think of this store as an artificial intelligence factory, a place where we are building these products, experiences, where we are testing and learning," said Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab and co-founder of Jet.com, which was bought by Walmart three years ago, according to the AP report.