Walmart Buys Warehouse Robots, Alibaba to Rival ChatGPT, and More News
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Blessed Good Friday, everyone! We hope you’re enjoying your break and getting ready for the next week of work. As you’re used to by now, every Friday, we bring you news from around the world regarding ecommerce. This week, we’ve decided to share only the most important ones and let you enjoy your time off.
Today’s news is 647 words and takes 2 minutes and 35 seconds to read.
Walmart Invests in Warehouse Robots to Boost Profits
In the world of ecommerce, the big guys are the pacemakers. With their innovations, they show the rest of online shopping businesses what’s the next step forward (or what actions to avoid).
Walmart is one of those big guys. The company is investing heavily in warehouse robots, hoping that automation in the supply-chain process will increase its profits in the long run.
In a statement to the press, Walmart claimed that the unit cost of moving goods would go down by 20% as warehouse robots become more efficient in speeding up the delivery time. The goal is to ease cost pressures and show that the investment in robots will have a lasting long-term effect on the company’s overall financial situation.
Before the robotized automation, employees had to manually do everything, from unloading trucks to storing (often cumbersome) goods in the right spot. Given the fact that Walmart’s warehouse can cover over 1.4 million square feet, that’s a lot of manual labor these robots will replace.
As always, one side of every automation story the investors fail to talk about is the cutting jobs at fulfillment centers that Walmart employees can look forward to.
Quick Tip
Are you also looking for ways to optimize your fulfillment and shipping processes? While you may be far away from buying robots, you can still use various shipping and fulfillment tools to maximize your profits. Check out our reviews of warehouse management systems that can help you out.
Also in the News
- 25 perfect AI prompts for Etsy sellers. Medium.
- Cardstream unveils PayFac-as-a-service. Finovate.
- PhonePe rolls out consumer app ‘Pincode’ with ONDC. The Paypers.
- Google and Amazon struggle to lay off workers in Europe. BQ Prime.
International News
Alibaba to Launch a ChatGPT Rival
Reports from Beijing tell us that Alibaba plans to launch a large-scale AI chatbot model that (might) rival ChatGPT. Reports show that the company plans the launch for April 11, during the Alibaba Cloud Summit.
With Baidu, China’s top search engine, developing its chatbot service, it seems that the AI chatbot industry is picking up pace in Asia. With Alibaba joining the scene, interest in the technology may skyrocket.
The last time Alibaba talked about the chatbot publicly, the company stated the model was going under internal testing and was not yet ready for launch. We’ll need to wait a few more days to see if the model is ready for wider use.
Quick Tip
With an AI chatbot, Alibaba will most likely improve customer experience and make the shopping process easier. As an ecommerce, you can benefit as well, with Alibaba being one of the major product sources. Until the chatbot becomes useful, you can check out all the other product-sourcing tools we’ve reviewed for you.
Also in the News
- Amazon launches MGM+ International across Europe. BroadcastPro.
- Morgan Stanley moves ahead with plan for wholly-owned futures company in China, as Beijing accelerates financial opening. SCMP.
- Amazon signs deal to promote India’s creative economy. BroadcastPro.
Webinars
For Everyone
Various dates: Amazon advertising’s global webinar program continues with 20+ webinars scheduled, covering Prime Day Preparation, Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, reporting, optimization, and other tips. Amazon.
For US Sellers
April 20: Streaming Ads that Work – and Why. Tinuiti.
April 27: Why online shoppers buy (or don’t) in 5 key categories. Digital Commerce 360.
For UK Sellers
Various dates: Amazon advertising’s global webinar program continues with 20+ webinars scheduled, covering Prime Day Preparation, Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, reporting, optimization, and other tips. Amazon.
April 18: Linnworks Meet the marketplace event. ChannelX.
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