Walmart Extends US Supply Chain Changes to Global Operations

“Proven U.S. technologies are now rolling out globally, enabling faster, smarter operations at scale,” the retail giant said in a news release Thursday (July 17). “With reusable platforms like self-healing inventory and agentic AI, teams can quickly adapt tools to local needs while staying connected through a unified tech stack.”

According to the release, these systems have gone live in markets such as Costa Rica, Mexico and Canada, “predicting demand, rerouting inventory, reducing waste and simplifying work.”

The release offers some examples of these changes in action. At Walmart’s perishable distribution center in Coyol, Costa Rica, fruits and vegetables are en route before dawn, with predictive warehouse and transportation management systems mapping the best delivery routes and aligning orders to store demand before workers even arrive.

Meanwhile, the company has begun using its “Self-Healing Inventory” system in Mexico City, automatically rerouting supplies when overstocks appear. This system, Walmart said, has already saved the chain more than $55 million.

“At this scale, the only way to move faster is to move smarter,” says Vinod Bidarkoppa, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Walmart International. “From self-healing inventory to agentic AI, we’re creating systems that turn real-time signals into real-time action, freeing up associates and delivering for customers.”

PTMNTS wrote earlier this month about efforts by Walmart — and its rival Amazon — to employ AI and automation to bolster their supply chains, a rivalry that is “turning into a real-time case study in retail’s transformation,” that report said, as the two titles invest billions in AI, warehouse robotics, predictive logistics and generative tools to improve operations, shrink labor costs and enhance the customer experience.

“It’s no longer just about eCommerce versus big-box stores,” that report added. “It’s about whose algorithms, robotics and data infrastructure can more efficiently move trillions of dollars of goods most effectively.”

That report also noted another recent Walmart supply chain innovation: cutting out the middleman in its beef sourcing by opening its first proprietary meat-processing facility.

“This may seem unrelated to robotics or AI— but it signals a parallel trend: retail giants want more control over their supply chains,” PYMNTS wrote. “As inflation continues to impact consumer behavior, companies that own their logistics and can fine-tune costs at every node — from farm to shelf to click — will gain an edge.”