Walmart unveils new tech at Cornwall, Ont. distribution centre

Thanks to a $20-million investment, a Walmart distribution centre in Cornwall, Ont., is now equipped with a “state-of-the-art” warehouse order fulfillment system.

The retail giant says the technology is the first of its kind at Walmart Canada and will modernize warehouse work to improve speed, efficiency and accuracy. The technology will also improve product availability and allow for quicker service in-store and online.

Walmart said in a release that the investment at the 40,000-sq.-ft. distribution centre will not only improve its supply chain, but also “future-proof” the company “by equipping associates with the industry-leading technologies, training and development they need to modernize work and keep goods flowing.”

Among its benefits, Walmart said the technology will help move goods in the warehouse with fewer physical demands from workers and it’s “omni-capable” in meeting the needs of stores and e-commerce.

The order fulfillment system will provide general merchandise to 136 stores from Kingston, Ont. to Canada’s East Coast. It is part of the company’s $3.5-billion investment to improve its online and in-store shopping experiences, according to the company.

“These investments will help our associates to better serve our customers,” said Walmart Canada president and CEO Horacio Barbeito in a release. “Cornwall is an integral part of our supply-chain network and we’re committed to providing jobs and opportunities to this valuable community that we’ve proudly called home for 27 years.”

The new software used as the Cornwall facility is similar to what will be used in two of the retailer’s future distribution centres, which are currently under construction in Surrey, B.C. (expected to open in 2022) and Vaughan, Ont. (expected to open in 2024).