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BENTONVILLE, Ark.— Walmart announced this week a partnership with software company Salesforce Inc. to offer delivery and store pickup services to retail customers using Walmart’s fulfillment network.
“Through this partnership, retailers can leverage the same innovative and scalable technologies that power Walmart’s pickup and delivery experiences,” said Anshu Bhardwaj, senior vice president, technology strategy and commercialization for Walmart Global Technology. “Together with Salesforce, retailers can scale their business and deliver the personalized, convenient experiences shoppers expect.”
The partnership will offer retailers access to Walmart’s GoLocal delivery service, which drops off purchases at customers’ doors, and the Store Assist fulfillment app from Walmart Commerce Technologies, which aids employees in picking and packing orders for delivery.
Walmart Commerce Technologies and Walmart GoLocal are a part of Walmart’s efforts to offer its technology and solutions to other retailers.
Walmart said its experience over the past decade in pioneering and scaling omnichannel technologies can now be used to help retailers meet consumers’ expectations for convenient fulfillment options. These solutions will enable personalized and easy commerce experiences with real-time order visibility and reliable local pickup and delivery, Walmart said.
The Store Assist app can help retailers leverage their local stores as fulfillment centers, as well as optimize in-store fulfillment by increasing picking accuracy, speed and efficiency, Walmart said. The app will provide a seamless handoff experience between employees and customers or third-party delivery drivers.
With Walmart GoLocal, retailers will have access to white-label, delivery-as-a-service technology to power a frictionless delivery experience for their customers.
“Shoppers continue to expect brands to deliver highly connected and frictionless experiences across physical and digital touchpoints. In fact, one in five orders placed the weekend before Christmas were picked up in store,” said Rob Garf, vice president and general manager of retail at Salesforce. “With the combined power of Walmart and Salesforce, retailers can drive success with best-in-class technology to advance their omnichannel capabilities, drive efficiency, and ensure that every purchase quickly gets into the hands of the shopper – no matter where they are.”
The partnership between Walmart and Salesforce will help retailers in a number of ways, including:
- Enabling buy online and pick up in-store (BOPIS): Retailers can leverage their stores as fulfillment centers, increase picking efficiency and provide seamless handoff experiences to customers or delivery drivers.
- Managing local deliveries: Retailers can serve their customers with scalable local delivery solutions that offer reliable, same-day delivery under a white-label experience, which allows them to keep the customer experience under their brand.
- Driving efficiency and profitability across the omnichannel journey: Retailers can efficiently manage customers’ omnichannel shopping experience across one platform while leveraging AI and real-time data to give customers connected, personalized experiences.
