Walmart Inc. (WMT.US) introduces RFID technology from Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY.US) to improve the operational efficiency of its fresh food department.

Walmart Inc. (WMT.US) and Avery Dennison Corporation (AVY.US) announced a strategic partnership on Wednesday to implement new radio frequency identification technology (RFID) in Walmart Inc.'s fresh food department (such as bakery, meat, and deli sections). Avery Dennison Corporation is a global enterprise that provides RFID technology solutions that are widely used in multiple industries, including retail, healthcare, logistics, and aviation. This is reportedly the industry's first such solution, using RFID smart tags and sensor technology designed specifically for high humidity, low temperature environments (such as meat coolers), breaking through long-standing industry technological barriers. The application of this technology is expected to allow Walmart Inc. employees to track inventory more quickly and accurately, ensuring adequate product supply, improving operational efficiency, and making smarter product rotation and discount decisions based on digitized shelf life information. The project aims to reduce unsold food and food waste, directly supporting Walmart Inc.'s goal to reduce food loss and waste intensity in its global operations by half by 2030. Both companies have large-scale operations globally - Walmart Inc. serves approximately 270 million customers per week, while Avery Dennison Corporation achieved sales of $8.8 billion in over 50 countries in 2024. Christyn Keef, Vice President of Front-End Business Transformation for Walmart Inc.'s U.S. region, said, "We believe that the presence of technology should make the lives of our employees and customers simpler."