Walmart Targets Faster Deliveries Via 4 Fulfillment Centers, Intensifies Rivalry With Amazon

Walmart Inc WMT plans to build four new e-commerce fulfillment centers using an automated system to speed deliveries firing up rivalry with Amazon.com Inc AMZN.
Walmart will open its first warehouse in Joliet, Illinois, this summer.
Walmart will build additional centers in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas over the next three years, Bloomberg reports.
E-commerce giants like Alibaba Group Holding Limited BABA and Amazon have gone very aggressive in driving the speed of their deliveries.
Walmart looks to cover 95% of the U.S. population with next- or two-day shipping with a holistic combination of its traditional and e-commerce fulfillment centers.
The new centers will involve people, robotics, and machine learning to speed up the delivery process.
Walmart collaborated with Knapp to reduce the manual 12-step process for fulfilling orders to just five, easing the strain on its workers.
Walmart has been working to incorporate the technology at an existing warehouse in Pedricktown, New Jersey.
Walmart's move has the potential to create over 4,000 jobs as the world gradually recovers from the pandemic.
Price Action: WMT shares closed higher by 1.63% at $127.50 on Thursday.
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