Walmart

=== Technology ===

==== Open source software ====
Many Walmart technology projects are coded in the open and available through the Walmart Labs [[GitHub]] repository<ref>{{cite web |first1 = Alex |last1 = Grigoryan |url = https://github.com/walmartlabs |website = Github |access-date = November 4, 2016 |title = Walmart Labs – Github |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170104074304/https://github.com/walmartlabs |archive-date = January 4, 2017}}</ref> as [[open-source software]] under the [[Open Source Initiative|OSI approved]] [[Apache License|Apache V2.0 license]]. {{As of|2016|November|post=,}} 141 public GitHub projects are listed.

During a migration of the walmart.com retail platform to [[React (JavaScript library)|Facebook React]] and [[Node.js]], the Electrode<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.electrode.io/ |access-date = November 4, 2016 |title = Introducing Electrode, an open-source release from @WalmartLabs |quote = Electrode is a platform for building universal React/Node.js applications with standardized structure, best practices, and modern technologies baked in. Electrode focuses on performance, component reusability, and simple deployment to multiple cloud providers—so you can focus on what makes your app unique. |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161104204315/http://www.electrode.io/ |archive-date = November 4, 2016}}</ref> project was created to power the e-commerce platform which serves 80&nbsp;million visitors per month and 15&nbsp;million items.

Alex Grigoryan<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Grigoryan |first1 = Alex |url = https://medium.com/@lexgrigoryan |access-date = November 4, 2016 |title = Alex Grigoryan – Medium |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161104205902/https://medium.com/@lexgrigoryan |archive-date = November 4, 2016}}</ref> of Walmart Labs released a statement<ref>{{cite web |url = https://medium.com/walmartlabs/introducing-electrode-an-open-source-release-from-walmartlabs-14b836135319#.uvbvyrc0s |website = Medium |access-date = November 4, 2016 |title = Introducing Electrode, an open source release from @WalmartLabs |date = October 3, 2016 |quote = In less than one year, Walmart.com has completed its migration to React/Node.js and we are proud of that accomplishment! The goal was to build a new application platform to help @WalmartLabs and its engineers scale for the future. |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161104205900/https://medium.com/walmartlabs/introducing-electrode-an-open-source-release-from-walmartlabs-14b836135319#.uvbvyrc0s |archive-date = November 4, 2016}}</ref> on Medium.com on October 3, 2016, explaining the details of the applications and the scale that they operate at Walmart.

==== Big data analytics ====
As the largest retailer in the U.S., Walmart collects and analyzes a large amount of consumer data. The [[big data]] sets are [[Data mining|mined]] for use in [[predictive analytics]], which allow the company to optimize operations by predicting customer's habits. Walmart's [[datacenter]] is unofficially referred to as [[Area 71]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/wal-mart-s-data-center-remains-mystery/article_5f088740-04ea-531d-b526-a2cc9862c8aa.html |title=Wal-Mart's data center remains mystery |last=McCoy |first=Max |date=May 28, 2006 |website=The Joplin Globe |publisher=Community Newspaper Holdings |access-date=May 31, 2019 |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217045422/https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/wal-mart-s-data-center-remains-mystery/article_5f088740-04ea-531d-b526-a2cc9862c8aa.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2011, Walmart acquired [[Kosmix]] to develop software for analyzing real-time data streams.<ref>Chris V. Nicholson, ''The New York Times''. "[https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/wal-mart-buys-social-media-site-kosmix/ Wal-Mart Buys Social Media Firm Kosmix] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525042852/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/wal-mart-buys-social-media-site-kosmix/ |date=May 25, 2017 }}." April 19, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2016.</ref> In August 2012, Walmart announced its Polaris search engine.<ref>Sarah Perez, TechCrunch. "[https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/30/in-battle-with-amazon-walmart-unveils-polaris-a-semantic-search-engine-for-products/ In Battle With Amazon, Walmart Unveils Polaris, A Semantic Search Engine For Products] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308134741/https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/30/in-battle-with-amazon-walmart-unveils-polaris-a-semantic-search-engine-for-products/ |date=March 8, 2017 }}." August 30, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2017.</ref>

The amount of data gathered by Walmart has raised privacy concerns.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news |last = Hays |first = Constance L. |title = What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/business/yourmoney/14wal.html |access-date = November 27, 2013 |newspaper = The New York Times |date = November 14, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131220044349/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/business/yourmoney/14wal.html |archive-date = December 20, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = A CASE STUDY OF WALMART |url = http://centerformediajustice.org/wp-content/files/WALMART_PRIVACY_MR.pdf |publisher = [[Center for Media Justice]] |access-date = November 27, 2013 |date = November 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203005506/http://centerformediajustice.org/wp-content/files/WALMART_PRIVACY_MR.pdf |archive-date = December 3, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Berman |first = Jillian |title = Walmart Now Possesses Info On An Estimated 145 Million Americans: Analysis |url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/walmart-data_n_4344879.html |work = HuffPost |access-date = November 27, 2013 |date = November 26, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131127161035/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/walmart-data_n_4344879.html |archive-date = November 27, 2013}}</ref>

==== Cash handling ====
in 2016, Walmart began a drive to automate much of the cash handling process. Walmart began replacing employees who count currency by hand with machines that count 8 bills per second and 3,000 coins a minute. The processing machines, located in the back of stores, allow cashiers to process the money for electronic depositing.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nassauer|first=Sarah|date=July 19, 2017|title=Robots Are Replacing Workers Where You Shop|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/robots-are-replacing-workers-where-you-shop-1500456602|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=November 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123142221/https://www.wsj.com/articles/robots-are-replacing-workers-where-you-shop-1500456602|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Nassauer|first=Sarah|date=July 1, 2018|title=Target, Walmart Automate More Store Tasks|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/target-walmart-automate-more-store-tasks-1530453600|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=December 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226232619/https://www.wsj.com/articles/target-walmart-automate-more-store-tasks-1530453600|url-status=live}}</ref>