Walmart announces Arkansas investment plans

Walmart plans to invest $31.3 million in its Arkansas stores for projects that include remodels, grocery pickup and delivery, installing Pickup Towers, and automated floor scrubbers.

The money invested in Arkansas stores for the work announced Tuesday (April 10) is 0.28% of the company’s planned $11 billion in capital expenditures for the fiscal year.

Remodels are set for stores in Clarksville, Heber Springs, Hot Springs, Magnolia, and Morrilton. The company did not provide info on the extent of remodels at the stores. No new stores are planned for Arkansas, with the Bentonville-based retailer saying in its full-year earnings report that Walmart U.S. will add just 10 stores this fiscal year.

Following are other planned additions to Walmart stores in Arkansas.
• Free grocery pickup service coming to more than 29 stores
• Grocery delivery coming to 18 stores
• Addition of 11 Walmart Pickup Towers
• Automated shelf scanners in seven stores
• Nineteen stores will receive automated floor scrubbers
• Eight stores will receive a new automated delivery truck unloader

“We are excited to see new technology going into more stores across the state of Arkansas,” Amy Corso, Walmart vice president and regional general manager, said in a statement. “These innovations bring greater convenience to the busy families we serve, saving them both time and money. Our associates often hear from customers just how much they love all the new ways Walmart is making the online and in-store shopping experience fast and easy.”

The company in the past year added about 1,000 grocery pickup locations, and nearly 800 grocery delivery locations. Walmart execs plan to have 3,100 pickup locations and 1,600 grocery delivery operations by the end of fiscal year 2020.

Walmart plans to add 1,200 of the unloaders to U.S. stores this year. According to the retailers, the “FAST Unloader” scans and sorts items unloaded from trucks based on priority and department, which allows employees to know which products need to be moved first to the sales floor.

900 new Pickup Towers are also expected to be installed in Walmart U.S. stores this year.