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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Building on its commitment to save customers time and money, Walmart in a number of states recently unveiled store opening and remodeling plans, including innovative features that will support e-commerce growth.
Walmart expects to spend an estimated $145 million this year in California through the opening and remodeling of 21 stores, as well as the launch and continued expansion of several customer-focused innovations. An estimated $173 million is also being earmarked in Florida for the opening and remolding of 34 locations.
The retailer also plans to spend about $264.9 million for the remolding of 54 stores in Texas.
Other projects include an estimated $71.8 million being used in Arizona through the remodeling of 14 stores, about $96 million in 19 stores in Indiana, around $83 million for 15 stores in Pennsylvania and an estimated $173 million for 34 stores in Florida.
The company also plans to offer a grocery pickup option. This service gives customers the convenience of shopping online and the ease of quickly picking up groceries without having to leave their cars at no additional cost.
The company said it expects to finish the current year with about 2,140 grocery pickup sites nationwide, and it plans to boost that number to about 3,100 by the end of fiscal 2020.
Other improvements call for pickup towers, which are 16-feet tall, high-tech vending machines capable of fulfilling a customer’s online order in less than a minute once they arrive at the store.
The retailer will also be adding autonomous shelf scanners. These scanners use automation to scan shelves and help identify where in-stock levels are low, prices are wrong or labels are missing.
In addition, the scanners provide a real-time view of inventory in the store — information used to direct associates to the areas of the store that need the most attention.
“The investments in these stores Walmart has planned this year demonstrate our commitment to our customers and the communities where we operate,” the company said in a statement. “The upcoming store remodels and innovations are exciting for both shoppers and associates alike and are centered on helping our customers save time and money.”
