Back in 2019, Walmart started piloting its first local fulfillment center in Salem, which uses robots called the Alphabot to pick items from shelves. Now, the retail giant is turning more locations into automated fulfillment centers by converting a portion of the stores into warehouses or adding a new section. Walmart stocks automated fulfillment centers with frequently purchased goods, including consumables (such as fresh and frozen items) and electronics. They're meant to make order delivery and pickup a lot faster, and the Alphabot is a key element in making that possible. The wheeled robot can quickly go anywhere inside a warehouse to retrieve items from shelves and then take them to a workstation for assembly.

Walmart is embracing a robot takeover in order to compete with Amazon. The Arkansas-based firm is using robots to fulfill grocery orders in one of its Supercenters and is set to add shelf-scanning machines to 650 additional stores by the end of the summer. The shift is aimed at reducing costs, improving store performance and gaining credibility in its battle against to reign supreme as the king of retail. Walmart announced it would soon incorporate automated robotic carts, called Alphabots, in one of its superstores in Salem, New Hampshire in 2018. Walmart is using robots to fulfill grocery orders in one of its Supercenters and is set to add shelf-scanning machines (pictured) to 650 additional stores by the end of the summer.

A robot will soon be able to handle your groceries for you. Walmart announced Friday that it will soon incorporate automated robotic carts, called Alphabots, in one of its superstores in Salem, New Hampshire. Alphabots can pick and pack shoppers' online orders and complete otherwise mundane tasks in the hopes of streamlining Walmart's online grocery service. 'Alphabot will work behind the scenes to make the process even easier by automatically bringing items from storage to associates who will consolidate the items in the order,' Mark Ibbotson, Walmart's executive vice president of central operations, said in a statement. 'For our pickup associates, that means less time walking the store aisles in search of products and more time ensuring customers are getting the absolute best in fresh produce, meats, etc.' The retail giant installed a 20,000-square-foot extension connected to the store that will house Alphabot.

Walmart is testing out a new system that will help put together grocery orders placed by customers online. The service lets users order groceries, choose a pickup time and have their order delivered to their car, and the new automated system, called Alphabot, will take over some of the legwork that goes into collecting order items. It will automatically gather certain items from a location's storage area and transport them to employees who will then package the order. The first Alphabot system will be tested at a supercenter in Salem, New Hampshire and Walmart expects it to be up and running by the end of the year. The company is currently adding a 20,000-square-foot extension to the store, which will house Alphabot and include drive-thru lanes for grocery pickup.