Walmart and Microsoft teamed up for a keynote session on Generative AI at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this week, and the tech could impact grocery shoppers in the very near future.
In addition to talking about an expanded drone delivery service, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, who shared the stage with Microsoft head Satya Nadella, revealed upgrades to the retailer’s Inhome Delivery program which would include automated replenishment.
Guided by artificial intelligence, the automated replenishment system is designed to track the shopping and consumption habits of consumers and will use the data as a base point to determine when items are automatically restocked without shoppers entering the store.
The service is offered through the Walmart+ InHome program, which was launched in 2019 and gives shoppers the option of having groceries delivered to their door, garage, and even their refrigerator.
Walmart claims the automated replenishment system constantly adjusts based on a shopper’s spending patterns and will deliver items when they are needed.
The retailer got the idea from the shoppers themselves, who said weekly household planning and remembering what to purchase is one of the most time-consuming activities.
A launch date of the automated replenishment system has not been announced.