Walmart Amps Up Digital Presence With New Partnerships
In an effort to offer more health services and food security to consumers, Walmart is teaming up with a digital diabetes management company to provide personalized grocery recommendations. Users of the Llena (AI) Health Solutions, Inc. platform can browse its “Cook it Yourself” module to browse and buy foods from Walmart that work for them and their diet.
Llena (AI) uses proprietary artificial intelligence to create an individualized glycemic index value meal suggestion based on blood sugar, blood pressure, and other preferences. Once chosen, groceries can be ordered for pickup or delivery from Walmart.
“Connecting Llena (AI) with Walmart food delivery is a groundbreaking move to support the communities in need,” said Charlotta Carter, CEO and co-founder of the Baton Rouge, La.-based Llena (AI) Health Solutions Inc, adding that the program reflects a commitment to healthy eating and to the eradication of food deserts and food insecurities.
Earlier this summer, Walmart made another move to shore up healthy food solutions to communities in need. The Walmart.org Center for Racial Equality donated $9.5 million grants to support community-led food solutions related to health systems and driving economic development.
Meanwhile, as it enters into a new digital partnership with Llena, Walmart is shoring up another aspect of its overall e-commerce business. This week, the retailer announced that the first deliveries are being made from newly-purchased vehicles from Canoo. After signing an agreement earlier this month to utilize Canoo’s Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles, Walmart has put those vehicles on the road for deliveries to Walmart+ members in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
"It's been awesome to work with Walmart's highly experienced team to rapidly deploy our LDV's in real world use cases to finalize a configuration for Walmart," said Tony Aquila, Canoo’s chairman and CEO. "Our LDV has been engineered to enable a wide range of package deliveries, including refrigerated items, groceries and general merchandise – and do it efficiently, emission free and with a high level of driver comfort and ergonomics. And we have been turning a lot of heads in the neighborhoods when driving by in our uniquely identifiable vehicles."
Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. The company employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
