Walmart

Walmart is equipping 500 of its stores in the USA with a total of 60,000 Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) over the next 18 months. The retailer will deploy battery-free labels from SES Imagotag.

Walmart is rolling out an AI-based out-of-stocks prevention system from Focal Systems in Canada. The US-based start-up's solution analyses camera images to alert employees to existing or imminent out-of-stock situations.

GS1 Germany is testing the opportunities of its new 2D code Digital Link together with start-up Jake's Beverages. The QR code printed on the packaging offers consumers access to product information and transparency for participants in the supply chain.

The market for self-checkout systems is growing by 11 percent worldwide, according to market research company RBR. Biggest growth driver is the Asia-Pacific region. NCR remains the undisputed market leader, but Chinese vendors are catching up.

Robots take over routine tasks at retail companies that have tagged all products on the sales floor with RFID. In addition to Kmart Australia and Adler Modemärkte, French sporting goods retailer Decathlon in Germany is also planning to use the Tory RFID inventory robot from MetraLabs to automatically record inventory in more than twelve stores. This should relieve employees of…

Asda is integrating its logistics processes on the Blue Yonder Luminate platform. The decision marks an important step for the company's transformation process following its spin-off from the Walmart Group.

Instacart wants to make home delivery picking more efficient at its retail partners such as Walmart. The company will promote that retail companies build micro fulfilment centres with automation provider Fabric at their stores and warehouses.

The grocery retail industry sees an massive increase in number of companies offering self-scanning with mobile devices. According to a study by Retail Banking Research (RBR), retailers already offer their customers in 32,000 sales outlets worldwide to scan items as they shop. In 80 percent of those stores, shoppers can scan with their own smartphones.

Walmart is equipping dozens of its stores with so-called local fulfilment centres (LFC). With semi-automation, the US retail giant aims to process customer orders faster and more efficiently. At different locations, Walmart is working with diverse technology providers, such as Alert Innovation, Dematic and Fabric.