From our humble beginnings as a small discount retailer in Rogers, Ark., Walmart has opened thousands of stores in the U.S. and expanded internationally. The company operates more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries and employs 2.1 million associates around the world — nearly 1.6 million in the U.S. alone.  

All of this, and the company is still growing. But the way people buy and discover goods has evolved into a seamless integration of online and offline experiences. Customers expect retailers to provide a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience.  

The latest technologies are enabling the world’s largest retailer to deliver a new type of commerce – one that is customer-centric, interconnected, frictionless and consistently exceeds expectations. 

Speaking to this purpose at CES, Walmart Chief Communications Officer Allyson Park said, “We have…a 10,000 square-foot, two-story booth that…takes people through the experience from using their app to order something, going in store, throughout our entire supply chain…[T]hat helps people understand who Walmart is and how we are using technology to better our business. I think a lot of times people think of Walmart from the past, and the fact is that Walmart has been investing in technology for many, many years.”       

A highlight of Walmart’s vast presence at CES included the wildly popular display outside North Hall at Central Plaza. The two-story structure was designed to simulate how technology is woven throughout every aspect of the retail experience – from its warehouses, to its stores and clubs, to how its customers and members shop, to how an item is delivered. Perhaps most talked about was the 4D Experience Ride. Audiences entered a theater and sat in lounge-type chairs that swayed at various intervals as they flew in HD for another look at how the company uses technology to benefit customers and members, its associate team and society.    

With autonomous floor scrubbers that help with restocking to drone delivery and virtual try-on, Walmart is driving digital innovation in ways that are elevating retail’s possibilities. Discussing recent innovations at CES, Walmart CEO and keynote Doug McMillon said, “We build technology to serve people and not the other way around. Walmart’s purpose is to help people live better, and today, more than ever, advances in technology make it feel like anything is possible. Our technology roadmap is compelling and we’re very excited about it, but we’re clear that we are a people-led, tech-powered company. People, our customers and associates, come first and we’ll put technology to work to serve them better than ever.” 

Walmart showed audiences at CES how surprising, inspiring and impactful behind-the-scenes technologies and processes can be. As Park point out, “People are excited…about what we're bringing because they know that when we innovate, and we lean forward, it drives change across multiple industries…[W]e believe that by taking a stance and saying, look, we are choosing the path where technology enables our people, and it fuels the business, that we can make positive change, not just in our company, in our industry, but for others that we work with and others that are just along for the ride.”   

Where better to tell this story as it deserves to be shared? 

“CES is an amazing platform for us to come and really give people a hands-on approach around the ways in which we are using technology to improve how our associates work and live, what we are doing for our customers and members, and the impact that we're making positively in communities we serve,” Park said. “This is a great place to just engage with a lot of different people and really showcase the future of retail and the future at Walmart.”