As Walmart scales its technology organization, the company wants to provide capabilities that were developed in-house to other businesses.
Under the banner of Walmart Commerce Technologies, the company is selling retail tech to brands and retailers in areas including, fulfillment, AI and checkout. With the growth of digital and a move toward omnichannel approaches like click-and-collect, Walmart is looking to not only provide a place for brands to sell goods, but also offer the tools that power a digital business.
“We have a world class organization including technology, product and operations teams that we believe, combined with our retail strength and scale, will allow us to build a mutually beneficial flywheel that unlocks new revenue for Walmart while improving the customer experience for everyone,” Anshu Bhardwaj, Walmart SVP of Strategy and Tech Commercialization, told The Current.
Initial capabilities offered by Walmart are being made available through a partnership with Adobe Commerce. Businesses can use Walmart’s cloud-based services to provide pickup and delivery for customers. Walmart said this allows businesses to reach new customers on its third-party seller Marketplace. It can also power two-day shipping nationwide through Walmart Fulfillment Services, which allows sellers to tap the company’s logistics and supply chain capabilities. Going forward, the company will seek to power new ventures.
“New ventures are always being considered as we continue to identify challenges that retailers face. If we have a solution that allows retailers to leverage Walmart’s years of operations experience, we’ll consider making it available so that they can go back to focusing on what matters most – their customers and products,” Bhardwaj said. “With Walmart Commerce Technologies, we are enabling retailers to leverage our technologies from checkout experiences to efficient store fulfillment allowing retailers to quickly serve their customers where, when and how they shop.”
As it offers these capabilities, Walmart is growing a base of tech talent. Walmart Commerce Technologies is part of the company’s fast-growing technology organization, called Walmart Global Tech, which now has 20,000 employees. Recently, the company announced plans to hire 5,000 new employees across Walmart Global Tech this year, and open new tech hubs in Atlanta and Toronto. The immediate openings are for a variety of roles.
“This year, we’re focused on hiring cybersecurity professionals, architects, developers, software engineers, data scientists, data engineers, technical program managers and product managers,” Bhardwaj said. “Beyond the technical competencies set for each role, there are four basic beliefs tied to Walmart's values: Service the customer, respect the individual, strive for excellence and act with integrity. We are looking for authentic, respectful, high-achieving workers who value service leadership.”
The moves come as Walmart continues to grow its ecommerce business, with digital sales increasing 90% over the two years of the pandemic. While its large stores helped the company become ubiquitous in American communities, these locations are now seen as both a place for in-person shopping, as well as fulfillment centers and pickup points for online orders. On the company’s recent earnings call to recap 2021, leaders pointed out that many associates have a device in their hand at all working hours, and heralded the growth of the company’s digital advertising business. Offering technology services is a way for Walmart to extend this expansion to its work with brands.
“We've got a business that's becoming increasingly digital,” CEO Doug McMillon said on the call.
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