Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has moved aginst rival Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), with the filing of a patent for an automatic home ordering subscription system. The system if launched will put the nation’s largest retailer in direct competition with the online giant Amazon Dash.
Walmart Home Ordering System
Chatter online is that the big box retailer filed for the patent in October of last year. The technology in question according to reports will require less effort to develop according to data provider CB insights.
“While Dash buttons still require users to press a physical button separate from the product, Wal-Mart aims to integrate IoT into the products themselves for automatic re-ordering with no user input at all,”,” CB Insights in a blog post
The patent filing shows that Walmart automatic home ordering system would follow almost the same concept as Amazon Dash. However, users will reportedly be able to reorder goods on the retailer’s online store automatically thanks to the new system capabilities.
Reordering Capability
Walmart’s service will reportedly feature an automatic subscription service whereby goods at homes of users will be reordered whenever they get low or about to expire. Customers, in this case, will not have to do anything whenever they need a refill. The system uses Bluetooth, radio frequency technology as well as infrared to detect whenever it is time to initiate a reorder.
The Internet of Things integration could allow Walmart in the future to recommend to people other goods that they can buy on the online store. While Amazon is yet to reaffirm its actual plans with patent, it all but goes to show that it is serious about rivaling Amazon when it comes to online sales.
Decline in foot traffic to brick and mortar stores in recent years has all but made it inevitable for giant retailers to rethink their strategies as online sales continue to hit all-time highs. Walmart just like other retailers is aggressively bolstering its online store having already started to offer groceries. The company is also reportedly exploring using drones to deliver ordered goods as it moves to rival Amazon.
