Latest news with #fulfillmentcenters
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Walmart Is Opening ‘Dark Stores' That Customers Can't Go Into
Walmart has opened 'dark stores' in Dallas, Texas, and Bentonville, Arkansas, that are not open to the public and serve solely as fulfillment centers to speed up online order deliveries. CEO Douglas McMillon announced that Walmart is close to reaching 95% of the U.S. population with three-hour or less delivery, with a 91% increase year-over-year in deliveries under three hours in Q1. The company has also expanded drone grocery delivery to 100 additional locations, becoming the first retailer to provide such a service across five is once again testing the waters with a new opportunity for customers, aiming to boost the quality and efficiency of its online delivery services. While its efforts to provide better service for shoppers aren't surprising, its latest project might be: Walmart is opening stores that customers can't actually go into. This isn't as strange as it sounds. The largest retailer in the United States — which currently operates 4,800 stores nationwide — is opening brick-and-mortar locations that will only be used to fulfill online orders and not be accessible to its shoppers. Referred to as 'dark stores,' the first of these new establishments is already operating in Dallas, Texas, and another is planned to open in Bentonville, Arkansas. According to USA Today, you won't find signage outside these Walmart locations, because they're not intended to attract customers. However, the interior of the dark stores will resemble the major retailer's usual outlets, and these locations will carry some of Walmart's most popular products that customers know and love. The dark stores are designed to serve as fulfillment centers and expedite online deliveries. During an earnings call this May, Walmart's chief executive officer Douglas McMillon said, 'Delivery speed continues to help drive our business. We'll soon reach 95% of the population in the U.S. with delivery options of three hours or less.' McMillon also emphasized that, 'For Walmart U.S, the number of deliveries in less than three hours grew by 91% for Q1 versus a year ago.' This isn't Walmart's only recent effort targeted towards reducing delivery times. Earlier this month, the supermarket chain expanded drone delivery to deliver groceries from 100 additional locations, making it the first retailer to offer drone-based grocery delivery across five states. 'We regularly test new tools, features, and capabilities to better connect with and serve our customers — wherever and however they choose to shop,' Walmart explains in a statement provided to Food & Wine. 'Regardless of the channel, our goal remains the same: to deliver a fast, seamless, and engaging customer experience.' Related: Walmart Is Opening a Fan-Favorite Hot Dog Chain in Several of Its Stores In the brand's corporate release announcing expanded drone delivery service earlier this month, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation Greg Cathey emphasized the company's commitment to 'pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before.' The dark stores aim to further this same goal and will help Walmart compete with retail giants like Amazon that can deliver orders with incredible speed. Read the original article on Food & Wine Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon's Latest Move to Reduce Waste Could Change Online Shopping
Amazon is taking a big step to reduce packaging waste amid rising criticism of its environmental practices. The e-commerce giant announced plans to install hundreds of automated box-making machines across European fulfillment centers by 2025, aiming to minimize excess packaging and cut carbon emissions. According to Amazon, these custom box-making machines use sensors to measure product dimensions and create made-to-fit boxes. Instead of relying on plastic padding, the machines pack items in recyclable paper, saving an average of 26 grams of packaging per shipment. The cool down reported that Pat Lindner, Amazon's vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, called the move 'a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of deliveries for our European customers.' The initiative comes at a critical time. While Amazon has claimed it avoided 3 million metric tons of packaging since 2015 and co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019 with a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, environmental concerns persist. Recent reports highlighted Amazon's plans to invest $87 billion in data centers by 2030—projects that could generate an estimated 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. In 2023, Business Insider revealed the environmental costs of Amazon's sprawling data center operations. Critics argue that the company's efforts to boost sustainability are undermined by its growing carbon footprint. Earlier this year, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of greenwashing, claiming that its paper products contribute to deforestation despite being labeled eco-friendly. Amazon's European packaging initiative is part of a broader push to balance customer demand with sustainability. The company plans to have 100,000 electric delivery vans on the road by the end of the decade and has ramped up its zero-emission transportation efforts. Whether these efforts are enough to offset the environmental impact of its vast logistics and data operations remains to be seen. But for now, Amazon's investment in automated packaging technology marks a clear shift toward a more sustainable model at least on Latest Move to Reduce Waste Could Change Online Shopping first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2025
