CEO Doug McMillon to detail Walmart’s digital future in opening CES address

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon will give the opening address at the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) CES conference in January, detailing the retail giant’s digital transformation, the trade group announced Monday.

CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, is one of the country’s largest showcases of consumer technology.

“Great tech disappears behind great experiences,” Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s EVP of corporate affairs, said in a statement. “As the world becomes more digital, we are thinking ahead on how we design and build technology that will usher in the next generation of retail. Doug’s keynote, plus compelling experiences on the CES show floor, will show how we’re using technology to make our customers’ lives easier, enable our associates to build satisfying careers and make our business even stronger.”

Walmart CEO Doug McMillion / Photo courtesy: CTA

Walmart, the country’s largest retailer, has long been a tech innovator.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company popularized the use of Universal Product Code (UPC) bar codes to manage inventory decades ago and built one of the first private satellite-communication systems at scale, CTA noted.

Walmart has invested heavily in tech in recent years through supply chain upgrades, automation, artificial intelligence and more.

Related:Walmart Takes Majority Stake in Symbotic

The retailer said in April that it anticipates two-thirds of its stores will employ automation by the end of fiscal 2026, as about 55% of its fulfillment center volume passes through automated facilities as it builds a supply chain that leverages data, software and robotics.

Walmart purchased a 62.2% stake in AI-powered warehouse automation technology provider Symbotic about a year ago.

McMillon’s speech, on Jan. 9 in Las Vegas, will offer up a look at what’s next for Walmart and its use of technology.

“Like CES, Walmart is all on using agility and creativity to push the boundaries of tech that improves outcomes for customers and associates,” Kinsey Fabrizio, CTA’s senior vice president for CES and membership, said in a statement. “Doug’s compelling story of how Walmart is enabling the next generation of retail will reflect on their people culture, beyond the advances powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.”

Walmart has made frequent appearances at CES, with McMillon delivering a mainstage address in 2021.