Walmart Enhances Regional Distribution Centers with Advanced Automation Technology

This initiative is part of Walmart’s extensive plan to renovate all 42 of its regional distribution centers. Once the upgrades are complete, the centers in Arizona and Arkansas will have the capacity to ship nearly double the number of cases compared to traditional regional distribution centers. Additionally, this transformation will transition manual jobs into positions that emphasize new skills in robotics and technology, as stated by the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer in a recent press release.

The enhancements will be carried out in phases over the coming years, though the retailer has not disclosed the total investment cost for these upgrades. The new technology will integrate a combination of personnel, robotics, and large storage systems to accelerate the delivery of merchandise to stores.

Currently, Walmart operates three distribution centers in Arizona and eight in Arkansas. The retailer emphasized, “The addition of robotics, automation, and AI-powered software systems to these facilities represents a significant investment in our associates and our community. It will enable us to offer new career opportunities while revolutionizing operations and fundamentally changing the way we distribute products to stores.”

In July, Walmart announced plans to add four highly automated perishable distribution centers across the country and install automated technology in five others. The upgraded technology will feature an automated storage system that reaches nearly 80 feet in height within a temperature-controlled environment. This will facilitate the construction of pallets designed to optimize store-level merchandising efficiency and minimize product damage.

Walmart’s traditional perishable distribution centers located in Minnesota, North Carolina, Indiana, and Tennessee will each receive 500,000 square feet of automation as part of this initiative.