AI IN RETAIL
Walmart Inc. & The Kroger Company
How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Retail — Operations, Customer Experience & Supply Chains
Figure 0: Artificial Intelligence — Neural Networks Powering the Future of Retail
Executive Summary
Artificial intelligence has moved from experimental initiative to core business infrastructure across the retail industry. This report examines how two of America’s largest retailers — Walmart Inc. and The Kroger Company — are deploying AI across their operations in 2025, and explores how purpose-built recruitment technology like Napplied.com is helping these industry giants attract the right talent to power their AI transformation.
From autonomous supply chain agents to AI-powered personal shopping assistants, both companies are embedding intelligence into every layer of their business. The results are measurable: faster fulfillment, smarter pricing, reduced shrink, and more engaged customers.
$681B
Walmart FY2025 Revenue
$20B
Kroger Projected Online Sales
+25%
AI Customer Spending Lift (Walmart)
+3.4%
Kroger Same-Store Sales Growth Q2
1. Walmart Inc. — Company Overview
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is the world’s largest retailer by revenue, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, the company operates more than 10,750 stores across 19 countries, employing approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide and serving ~270 million customers each week.
Company Detail
Information
Headquarters
Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
Founded
1962 by Sam Walton
Annual Revenue (FY2025)
$681 billion
Employees Worldwide
~2.1 million associates
Store Count
10,750+ stores in 19 countries
Weekly Customers
~270 million globally
Stock Exchange
NYSE: WMT
Core Business
Retail, e-commerce, Sam’s Club, Walmart Connect
1.1 Walmart’s AI Strategy — “People-Led, Tech-Powered”
Walmart’s Global CTO Suresh Kumar described 2025 as “just the beginning.” The company’s approach is surgical: purpose-built agentic AI tools for specific retail tasks, then orchestrated together for complex workflows. Rather than chasing general-purpose AI, Walmart deploys AI that drives real retail impact.
Figure 1: AI-Powered Retail Operations — Inventory Robots, Pricing Optimizers & Smart Checkout
1.2 Key AI Initiatives at Walmart (2025)
Agentic AI — The Four Super Agents
At its 2025 Retail Rewired event, Walmart launched four “super agents”:
• Sparky — Consumer shopping AI assistant. Helps build baskets, compare prices, plan meals, check availability. 81% of surveyed Walmart customers used Sparky to check product specs before purchase.
• Marty — Supplier and seller agent, assisting with orders and supply chain inquiries.
• The Associate Agent — A single conversational entry point for all store associates to access back-end AI tools.
• The Developer Agent — Boosts Walmart’s internal engineering productivity.
OpenAI Partnership — Agentic Commerce (Oct 2025)
Walmart partnered with OpenAI, enabling customers to shop Walmart directly through ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout. Shoppers using AI-powered in-store tools spend 25% more on average. Walmart also adopted ChatGPT Enterprise company-wide and became an OpenAI Certification launch partner.
AI Workforce Tools — 1.5 Million Associates
• AI-directed shift planning: Reduced planning time from 90 minutes to 30 minutes.
• Real-time translation in 44 languages for multilingual associate-customer communication.
• RFID + AR (VizPick): Augmented reality inventory management for apparel restocking.
• MyAssistant: GenAI corporate tool for data analysis, meeting prep, and talent insights.
• Wally: Internal AI merchandising analytics platform.
Digital Twin Technology
Walmart deploys physical and spatial AI digital twins — virtual replicas of every store. These detect, diagnose, and remediate operational issues up to two weeks in advance. Results: 30% fewer emergency alerts and 19% lower refrigeration maintenance spend across Walmart US.
Supply Chain & Distribution AI
• Automated Defect Detection: Inspects packaging quality at scale in distribution centers.
• AI Pallet Builder: Optimizes product grouping and shipping based on store order data.
• Dynamic Express & Fulfillment AI: Coordinates picking, packing, batching, and delivery routing.
• AI Forecasting: Reroutes inventory to low-stock stores; selects optimal routes for perishables.
Retail Media AI — Walmart Connect
Walmart Connect’s GenAI-powered Automated Creative Generation (ACG) reduced advertisers’ median creative production time by 80% in early beta testing. The company also launched its first AI-tied advertising formats connected to the Sparky agent in fall 2025.
Figure 2: Walmart AI Business Impact — Key 2025 Metrics
2. The Kroger Company — Company Overview
The Kroger Company (NYSE: KR) is America’s largest supermarket chain, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1883, Kroger operates nearly 2,800 stores across 35 states under banners including Kroger, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, and Ralphs. Kroger is ranked No. 25 on the Fortune 500.
Company Detail
Information
Headquarters
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Founded
1883 by Barney Kroger
Annual Revenue
~$150 billion
Employees
~430,000 associates
Store Count
~2,800 stores across 35 U.S. states
Projected Online Sales (2025)
$19.98 billion
Fortune 500 Rank
No. 25
Key Data Asset
84.51° — Retail Analytics & Kroger Precision Marketing
2.1 Kroger’s AI Foundation — The 84.51° Advantage
Kroger’s unique data moat is its 84.51° division — a retail analytics subsidiary with decades of loyalty data. The platform powers 1.9 billion unique, customized coupons per year across 150 million customer touchpoints using machine learning. Kroger’s interim CEO Ron Sargent stated: “Accelerating our AI efforts is a natural step for Kroger, given our long history of leadership in data and machine learning.”
2.2 Key AI Initiatives at Kroger (2025)
Google Gemini — AI Personal Shopping Assistant (Jan 2026)
Kroger became one of the first retailers to deploy Google’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience — a new AI personal shopping and meal-planning assistant that can:
• Complete complex tasks from a single instruction (e.g., plan a week of dinners for a family within a budget).
• Build shopping carts for large occasions, reorder past purchases, and compare product details.
• Surface recipes and convert ingredient lists into a one-click cart.
• Use Kroger’s own data for actual pricing, promotions, and real-time availability.
Sage — AI Associate Platform
Kroger’s Sage gives store associates a mobile-first hub for scheduling, time-off, pay, and policy Q&A. Store leaders gain real-time labor data. Described as “functional, tangible, real-time, 24/7.”
Instacart Cart Assistant & AI Solutions
Kroger and Sprouts pioneered Instacart’s Cart Assistant — an AI agent that lets shoppers build grocery baskets through conversational prompts. Kroger also joined Instacart’s broader AI Solutions suite for inventory tracking, catalog enrichment, and agentic commerce with OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.
Robotic Fulfillment & Ocado Partnership
Kroger opened AI-enabled robotic customer fulfillment centers (CFCs) with UK-based Ocado Group, integrating machine learning, robotics, and predictive demand systems. Kroger achieved 17% year-over-year e-commerce growth in Q3 FY2025 — its sixth straight quarter of double-digit growth. In late 2025, Kroger scaled back some CFCs and paid Ocado $350M in settlement, pivoting to capital-light store-based automation.
AI Shrink Reduction & Inventory Intelligence
Kroger deployed a dedicated AI tool via 84.51° to combat inventory shrink. CFO David Kennerley confirmed: improved inventory levels and sell-through visibility on a by-store basis. The tool is now expanding to identify seasonal sales opportunities.
In-Store Automation Pilots
Kroger is testing inventory robots (Simbe’s Tally and Badger Technologies) in ~35 locations — tracking product availability and pricing in real time as a test-and-learn program for broader deployment.
Figure 3: AI-Driven Supply Chain — Walmart & Kroger End-to-End Flow
Figure 4: Kroger AI Investment Areas & E-Commerce Growth (2025)
3. Comparative AI Analysis: Walmart vs. Kroger
While both companies are making substantial AI investments, their strategies differ meaningfully. Walmart benefits from unmatched scale and OpenAI-level partnerships for agentic retail. Kroger’s strength lies in its decades-long loyalty data advantage and the 84.51° analytics engine — enabling deep personalization for its grocery-focused customer base.
Figure 5: AI Adoption Scores by Domain — Walmart vs. Kroger (2025)
Walmart AI Highlights 2025
Kroger AI Highlights 2025
Agentic AI — Sparky, Marty, Associate Agent
Google Gemini personal shopping assistant
OpenAI / ChatGPT Instant Checkout partnership
84.51° — Decades of loyalty ML data
Digital twin technology across all stores
Instacart Cart Assistant integration
Real-time AI translation — 44 languages
Sage associate AI mobile platform
MyAssistant for 1.5M associates
AI-powered shrink reduction (84.51°)
AI Pallet Builder & Defect Detection
AI robotic CFCs (Ocado partnership)
Walmart Connect Retail Media AI
AI competitive pricing by store
Spatial AI & store simulation
Inventory robots in ~35 pilot stores
Dimension
Walmart Inc.
The Kroger Company
AI Strategic Focus
Agentic, multi-domain, OpenAI-partnered
Data/loyalty-first, Google Gemini, personalization
Associate AI Tools
MyAssistant, Associate Agent, real-time translation
Sage, AI scheduling, policy Q&A
Customer AI
Sparky shopping agent, in-store app
Gemini shopping assistant, Cart Assistant
Supply Chain AI
Pallet Builder, Defect Detection, Digital Twins
Robotic CFCs, AI demand forecasting
Personalization
ChatGPT Instant Checkout, ad AI
1.9B unique coupons, 150M touchpoints
Key 2025 AI Metric
Shift planning: 90 min → 30 min
E-commerce: +17% YoY in Q3 FY2025
AI Investment Outlook
Expanding agentic AI across all business units
Accelerating post-Albertsons merger collapse
4. Napplied.com — AI Recruitment Intelligence for Retail’s AI Era
As Walmart, Kroger, and the broader retail industry accelerate their AI transformation, the challenge of hiring qualified talent becomes increasingly critical. Companies that receive moderate application volumes need maximum relevance, speed, and fit — not just volume throughput. This is precisely where Napplied.com delivers a distinct, measurable advantage.
4.1 The Recruitment Challenge in Retail’s AI Era
Walmart’s four-agent AI framework and Kroger’s expanding 84.51° capabilities demand new categories of talent: machine learning engineers, data scientists, agentic AI specialists, supply chain automation engineers, and digital merchandising analysts. Traditional ATS platforms were built for keyword volume — not contextual relevance. Napplied was designed to solve exactly this mismatch.
4.2 Napplied’s AI-Powered Candidate Sourcing
Napplied’s major focus begins before an application is ever submitted: proactive, intelligent candidate sourcing and targeted invitations. Rather than waiting for candidates to find a job posting, Napplied’s AI engine actively identifies and surfaces talent that matches role requirements — including passive candidates not actively searching.
• Intelligent Outbound Sourcing: Scans professional networks and talent databases for candidates matching role specifications, skills, seniority, and culture signals.
• Contextual Candidate Profiles: Builds enriched profiles using contextual signals — project scope, domain relevance, career trajectory, and achievement depth — not just keyword matches.
• Personalized Invitations: Automates contextually relevant, personalized outreach to each candidate, dramatically improving engagement and response rates.
• Passive Talent Activation: Engages high-quality candidates not actively looking through intelligent, non-intrusive outreach workflows.
4.3 Relevancy Scoring — Quality Over Quantity
For companies like Walmart and Kroger that receive moderate application volumes for specialized roles, relevancy matters far more than raw volume. Napplied’s AI relevancy engine ensures every candidate in the pipeline genuinely fits:
• Reasoning-Based Shortlisting: Evaluates contextual fit signals — role scope, domain relevance, scale of experience — and provides transparent reasoning behind each ranking.
• Custom Screening Questions: Recruiters can add role-specific, even subjective questions that Napplied incorporates into its scoring model.
• Bias Reduction: Structured data signals and outcome-based reasoning reduce the subjectivity that often disadvantages qualified diverse candidates.
• Consistent Evaluation: Every applicant receives the same rigorous, AI-driven evaluation regardless of volume.
4.4 Faster Workflow — Sourcing to Shortlist
Speed is competitive advantage in specialized talent acquisition. Napplied compresses the hiring timeline at every stage:
Hiring Stage
Traditional Process
Napplied AI-Powered
Candidate Sourcing
3–5 days of manual searching
Minutes — AI auto-sources matched candidates
Initial Screening
4–8 hours per 100 resumes
Automated — instant AI scoring and ranking
Relevancy Assessment
Subjective, time-intensive, inconsistent
Objective scoring with transparent reasoning
Interview Invitations
1–2 days to draft & send
Automated, personalized outreach at scale
Shortlist Delivered
5–10 business days
24–48 hours with AI pipeline
Figure 6: Napplied.com — AI-Powered Recruitment Workflow from Sourcing to Hire
Figure 7: Napplied — Traditional vs. AI-Powered Workflow Efficiency Index
4.5 Why Napplied Fits the Walmart & Kroger Talent Model
• Moderate Application Volume, Maximum Fit: Napplied excels where application volumes are manageable but relevance is paramount — the profile of tech and AI leadership roles at major retailers.
• Enterprise Workflow Integration: Seamless ATS integrations (Greenhouse, Workday, Lever) ensure Napplied fits existing hiring stacks without disruption.
• End-to-End Pipeline Visibility: Unified view of sourcing, scoring, outreach, and engagement enables data-driven hiring decisions at every stage.
• Scale Without Compromise: Whether hiring one Principal AI Architect or fifty supply chain engineers, Napplied delivers consistent, high-quality pipelines.
As Walmart builds its agentic AI organization and Kroger accelerates post-Albertsons, Napplied.com offers the recruitment intelligence infrastructure these companies need to attract the talent that will define their next decade of innovation.
Napplied.com — AI Recruitment Intelligence | Candidate Sourcing • Relevancy Scoring • Faster Workflows | https://napplied.com/
5. The AI Retail Landscape — Industry Outlook 2025–2026
The retail industry’s AI transformation is moving from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment. Key trends shaping the next phase:
• Agentic AI becomes mainstream: Systems that take autonomous action — reordering products, rerouting supply chains — are moving from pilot to full production.
• AI and consumer trust: Walmart’s Retail Rewired Report found the trust gap between AI recommendations and human influencers is narrowing, with 27% of consumers preferring AI suggestions.
• Privacy-first AI: 27% of consumers want transparency around data use; 26% want control over data shared. Retailers must build privacy-respecting AI systems.
• Human-in-the-loop preference remains strong: 46% of consumers are unlikely to let AI handle an entire shopping trip autonomously — reinforcing the “people-led” framework.
• Retail media intelligence: AI is transforming retail advertising — Walmart Connect’s ACG cut creative production time by 80%.
• Workforce AI literacy: Retailers are investing in AI training — Walmart adopted ChatGPT Enterprise and became a launch partner for OpenAI Certifications to build AI-ready workforces.
• Talent demand surge: AI transformation at scale creates massive demand for ML engineers, data scientists, and agentic AI specialists — fueling the need for intelligent recruitment platforms like Napplied.com.
6. References & Data Sources
All data and findings in this report are sourced from publicly available corporate announcements, official news coverage, and earnings call transcripts. All links are verified https:// URLs.
Walmart
https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/10/14/walmart-partners-with-openai-to-create-ai-first-shopping-experiences
https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/05/29/inside-walmarts-strategy-for-building-an-agentic-future
https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/06/24/walmart-unveils-new-ai-powered-tools-to-empower-1-5-million-associates
https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/06/04/walmarts-retail-rewired-report-2025-agentic-ai-at-the-heart-of-retail-transformation
https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/07/24/retail-rewired
https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2025/11/05/walmart-brings-ai-powered-tools-to-the-in-store-experience
https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2025/12/04/inside-walmart-s-ai-strategy
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/30/walmart-stores-ai-innovation-retail-shopping-shift.html
https://www.walmartconnect.com/resources/articles/2025/the-next-generation-of-ai-powered-retail-media
https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/11/20/2025-ai-trends-outlook
Kroger
https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-tech-AI-strategy-lower-costs-efficiency-earnings/760159/
https://www.ciodive.com/news/kroger-tech-AI-strategy-lower-costs-efficiency-earnings/760040/
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/09/25/how-kroger-is-using-ai/
https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-technology/kroger-launches-ai-driven-shopping-agent
https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-ai-google-gemini-shopping-assistant-technology-associate-platform-sage-nrf-2026/809435/
https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-sprouts-instacart-artificial-intelligence-grocery/804637/
https://aimmediahouse.com/market-industry/what-kroger-is-doing-with-ai-amid-ceo-changes-and-layoffs
https://chainstoreage.com/kroger-pay-350-million-automation-partner-it-scales-back-robotic-warehouses
https://www.8451.com/company-and-culture/how-kroger-is-using-data-and-ai-to-drive-innovation-in-the-grocery-industry/
https://www.cfodive.com/news/kroger-tech-AI-strategy-lower-costs-efficiency-earnings/760210/
Napplied & AI Recruitment
https://napplied.com/
https://skima.ai/blog/how-to-guides/ai-sourcing-candidates
https://www.qureos.com/hiring-guide/best-ai-recruiting-platforms
https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/buyer-guide/ai-recruiting
https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/tools/best-ai-recruiting-software/
Napplied.com | AI Recruitment Intelligence | Candidate Sourcing • Relevancy • Speed | https://napplied.com/