Walmart is showcasing its integration of augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) within its retail operations, leading to enhanced digital sales and innovative applications. According to Desirée Gosby, Vice President of Emerging Technology at Walmart Global Tech, these techniques include virtual try-ons, interactive showroom experiences, and digital twins.
Gosby underlines the vital role AR plays in elevating customer experiences and boosting productivity. She acknowledges that the industry needs standardized formats to enhance collaboration in creating digital twins and reconfiguring stores to accommodate diverse product assortments. "Walmart has been focused on AR for some time, but we've intensified our efforts over the last 2.5 years," she explained.
Beyond AR, Walmart is exploring other technologies such as spatial computing and conversational AI. “Our goal is to create transformational experiences for both customers and associates," Gosby stated, emphasizing Walmart's commitment to scaling these innovations.
Vision and Foundation
This year, Walmart is launching several AR applications that offer not just visual representations but also interactive and social elements, allowing customers to discover and share products. The company’s core AR platform, Retina, supports initiatives to provide immersive shopping experiences.
By leveraging AI, Walmart has successfully scaled its AR offerings. Current customer-facing applications include virtual try-ons for beauty, hair, makeup, apparel, and optical products, featuring a selection of 150 models. Customers can also visualize how items would look in their homes.
High-Level AR Roadmap
Walmart's initiatives include the Shop With Friends application, set to launch soon, which allows users to share virtual try-ons for feedback. Gosby noted an increase in conversion rates, a decrease in product returns, and higher add-to-cart rates since implementing AR features.
Looking to the future, Walmart aims to enhance AR experiences that rival the immersion of in-person shopping. The company is currently testing various AR technologies for employee productivity, having released six AR experiences in just two years.
In the virtual try-on segment, Walmart's innovative approach allows customers to select from 150 models. Customers can preview outfits on themselves or visualize products in their settings, significantly enhancing the shopping experience.
Enhancing Productivity for Employees
Walmart is also utilizing XR technology to boost associate productivity. The company implements AR applications on smartphones that integrate with existing workforce tools, facilitating quicker product location and retrieval.
Gosby points out that advancements in XR headsets could lead to broader deployment in the future. For now, Walmart is focusing on smartphone applications and using headsets for training, such as active shooter scenarios, which allow rapid coverage of various situations.
With over 2.1 million employees globally, these technologies help reduce costs and improve efficiency. "Our main objective is to enhance associate interactions with customers," Gosby said, underscoring the need to remove friction for a smoother workflow.
"By building on the stable platforms from Apple and Google, we can tailor experiences to improve employee productivity," she added. Walmart is also exploring digital twins for dynamic inventory management and potential head-mounted display applications.
Walmart's commitment to technology extends to innovative commerce strategies, leveraging partnerships such as with Unity to enhance the customer shopping experience, including in-game purchases for gardening tools.
“We observe increasing customer engagement in gaming environments and aim to meet their needs effectively,” Gosby said. “The integration of AR and digital commerce will drive a multimodal experience, relying on a range of technologies to reimagine the retail landscape.”
This encapsulates Walmart’s augmented reality journey, highlighting that AR is about more than merely 3D representation; it's a transformative approach to retail.
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