Walmart Canada invests in cutting-edge technologies and innovations

With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top-10 most influential brands. And it continues to grow, by adding more services, including online shopping at Walmart.ca, home delivery, and pickup at stores and other locations.  
Wed 23/11/2022 by Nadia Venticinque
Walmart Canada is the first major Canadian retailer to offer carbon-neutral last-mile delivery.
Walmart Canada’s most advanced grocery distribution centre, a facility with leading-edge technology, officially opened its doors in Surrey, British Columbia
Walmart Warehouse has state-of-the-art, goods-to-person technology, Cornwall, Ontario

Twelve distribution centres, 270 tractors, 3,900 trailers and 500 drivers travelling over 38 million kilometres each year – that’s what it takes to get products to its more than 400 stores across the country. Its e-commerce site, Walmart.ca, is visited by more than 1.5 million Canadians daily, who can choose from millions of items sold by Walmart and third-party sellers to fit their needs.

New high-tech and sustainable grocery distribution centre in Surrey, B.C.

In April 2022, Walmart Canada opened its most advanced grocery distribution centre in Surrey, British Columbia. The 300,000 square foot, $175 million state-of-the-art facility is part of Walmart Canada’s $3.5 billion investment to generate significant growth and speed up the flow of products through the company’s supply chain across Canada.

“This is only the start for what Canadians can expect from Walmart: we’re transforming how we enable our supply chain and associates with leading-edge technologies and innovations,” John Bayliss, executive vice president, chief transformation officer, Walmart Canada.

The Surrey Grocery Distribution Centre will provide ambient (pantry items), fresh and frozen grocery goods to 45 Walmart stores in British Columbia. Distribution through the facility will reduce the company’s long-haul trips from Alberta and directly reduce its carbon footprint, supporting Walmart’s journey to becoming a regenerative company.

This modern facility was built vertically, using about half of the land mass that would be required for a traditional equivalent facility, and directly reducing its overall carbon footprint. Cutting-edge technology will make it possible to complete as many as 150,000 order picks per day, improving the efficiency and speed of distribution while requiring less physical effort from associates.

The first major Canadian retailer to offer carbon-neutral last-mile delivery

In its first year, this Walmart-funded programme will offset an estimated 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking over 5,000 cars off the road. Walmart has engaged EcoCart, a sustainability technology company, to calculate and validate the emissions created from online orders and to purchase carbon offset credits from high-quality projects in the exact dollar amount required to reduce or avoid those emissions.

Walmart Canada’s retail transformation in the last year

  • 99% of supercentres offered online order pickup by the end of 2021 – up nearly 30% from just one year earlier
  • Less than 4 hours from online order to store pickup
  • 65,000 items available on Walmart.ca for pickup
  • 520: highest number of online groceries pickup orders completed in one day
  • 195% increase in the number of stores offering Walmart home delivery of online grocery orders
  • US$20 million invested in goods-to-person (GTP) technology at one of its Cornwall, Ontario, distribution’s centres
  • 980 square feet of new distribution centers under construction
  • 23 million products added to Walmart.ca, helping boost website traffic by 14%
  • 88% growth in third-party grocery sellers available on Walmart.ca through Walmart Canada Marketplace
  • Acquired Foodmaestro and its personalised product-finding software to help Walmart.ca shoppers find food to match their specific allergy, intolerance, nutrition, and lifestyle needs
  • US$200 million invested to renovate 56 stores, refreshing the Walmart environment for those who prefer to shop in person

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