Walmart’s nationwide rollout of Wiliot’s ambient IoT technology represents a significant shift in retail supply chains, combining continuous IoT data with advanced AI to deliver unprecedented visibility, compliance, and efficiency.
Walmart Scales Ambient IoT Deployment
A lot of packaging is poised to get smarter. A global leader in ambient IoT technology, Wiliot, has announced a collaboration with Walmart that marks the largest rollout of ambient IoT in retail to date. Millions of Wiliot IoT Pixels are being integrated across Walmart’s supply chain, feeding real-time signals into the retailer’s advanced AI systems. The deployment represents one of the biggest applications of ambient IoT worldwide, to track 90 million pallets by the end of 2026.
“Wiliot’s IoT Pixels are being used to track Walmart pallets at scale, with a goal of reaching 90 million by the end of 2026,” a Wiliot press release notes. “This initiative stands as one of the largest ambient IoT deployments to date, providing a new source of supply chain data for Walmart’s expanding use of AI.”
The collaboration is designed to transform supply chain management by giving Walmart associates a continuous, scan-free view of inventory accuracy, cold chain compliance, and operational efficiency. Knowing exactly what merchandise is owned and where it is at any given moment enables faster decision-making, stronger compliance with food safety standards, and improved customer experiences. Read more about reusable retail packaging at our hub.
“Our IoT Pixels verify that pallets are delivered accurately, digitally record cold chain compliance, and more – automatically, passively, and without added labor,” said Tal Tamir, Co-Founder & CEO of Wiliot. “These continuous data signals represent a new AI data source for one of the world’s most sophisticated supply chains, providing real-time performance insights to both associates and algorithms. The result is a system that moves faster, responds smarter, and delivers better outcomes for associates and customers alike.”
Early Results From Nationwide Rollout
The rollout is already underway across 500 Walmart locations, with national expansion set for 2026, covering 4,600 Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and more than 40 distribution centers. Early results are showing impact: automated alerts are reducing manual tasks, visibility is resolving inventory discrepancies, and associates can dedicate more time to customers.
Greg Cathey, Walmart Senior Vice President of Transformation & Innovation, underscored the significance for the company. “With Wiliot’s ambient IoT technology, coupled with our AI systems, we’re not only optimizing our supply chain to make faster, smarter inventory decisions, but we’re also tackling one of the hardest problems in retail—knowing exactly what we own and where it is at any given moment,” he said. “This enhanced visibility helps us deliver the consistent value, quality, and experience our customers expect – and that’s what drives us every day.”
Tamir emphasized that the achievement reflects both Walmart’s leadership and Wiliot’s execution. “Their willingness to embrace new technology and embed it into the core of their operations reflects a deep commitment to innovation, to their associates, and to their customers,” he said. “And I want to recognize the Wiliot team. Delivering a solution of this scale and complexity required extraordinary effort, creativity, and resilience. To each of them, I extend my sincere thanks.”
Rise of Physical AI Beyond Retail
Looking ahead, Tamir sees Walmart’s deployment as just the start. “The Walmart deployment demonstrates what becomes possible when ambient IoT data feeds into AI at scale. But the opportunity extends far beyond retail supply chains. What we are building is part of something larger – the rise of Physical AI,” he said.
By merging continuous IoT data with artificial intelligence, Physical AI unlocks a new era of decision-making and automation across industries. From food and pharmaceutical safety to logistics and sustainability, the technology promises to transform how physical assets are monitored, managed, and moved.
“This is only the beginning,” Tamir concluded. “We’re entering an era where every product, every pallet, and every process can be digitally visible in real time. That visibility is what enables smarter supply chains, more efficient operations, and a more sustainable future.”
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
