Walmart and Symbotic have signed an expanded commercial agreement under which Walmart commits an initial approximately 6 billion dollars of spending over several years. The work brings additional automation capabilities to 25 of Walmart’s US regional distribution centers and supports further opportunities across its global supply chain network.
Under a separate development programme addendum, Walmart committed 125 million dollars to fund research and development of next generation racking technology and related picking and inventory capabilities. Symbotic said the initial commitment could increase its future backlog by up to 6.92 billion dollars. The new Enterprise Master Automation Agreement sits alongside the companies’ 2022 and 2025 master agreements, which remain in force except where superseded.
Symbotic’s platform combines autonomous mobile robots, high density storage and AI based software, and now includes a BreakPack each picking solution and the SymMicro micro fulfilment solution. Walmart says the added capability supports e-commerce upstream inventory management, increases storage capacity and improves how products move through its network. The companies have worked together since 2017.
The commitment cannot be reduced without mutual written consent, subject to termination rights, and it concentrates Walmart’s warehouse automation with one supplier for years of deployment work. Execution across 25 sites, rather than the headline figure, will decide the return.