Walmart Ditches Automated Pickup Towers For Higher Curbside Pickup: WSJ - Walmart (NYSE:WMT)

Walmart Inc WMT is eliminating the vast automated pickup towers in over 1,500 stores to deliver online orders, reflecting a growing focus on curbside pickup services and withdrawal from store automation initiatives, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Walmart started to remove or deactivate the 17-foot-tall machines from last year. The retailer evacuated 300 machines from stores and deactivated around 1,300 machines.
Reportedly, customers preferred a pickup spot outside the store, as per Walmart spokeswoman.
The pickup towers served as vending machines for online orders, holding items until collection. Walmart aimed to save time and cost of online order pick up through the machines.
Last year, Walmart stopped using Bossa Nova Robotics Inc's aisle-roving, inventory-tracking robots on finding similar results with human efforts.
Walmart has ramped up its online grocery curbside pickup and home-delivery business in recent years. The initiatives included expansion of service and nongrocery product assortment.
The pandemic has accelerated curbside pickup ramp-up efforts. The retail giant is also considering an alternative use for the pickup towers.
Walmart CEO John Furner had phased out some of the consumer-facing automation technology added to stores under his forerunner.
The pickup machines were manufactured by Cleveron and sold through Bell & Howell. Cleveron disclosed its continued cooperation with Walmart in other areas.
Price action: WMT shares are trading flat at $141.20 in the premarket session on the last check Thursday.

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