Walmart partners with Adobe on e-commerce technology business offensive

Walmart is using its technology offensive for another business area.

The retailer said Wednesday that it would offer cloud services and a range of other technologies to retailers running on software company Adobe’s e-commerce platform, entering into a “strategic partnership” with Adobe to connect Adobe Commerce, its technology business, with Walmart’s own marketplace platform and other e-commerce resources.

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“The core mission of helping people save money and live better is at the heart of every idea, including scan-and-go and checkout technologies, (artificial intelligence)-powered smart substitutions, and pickup and delivery,” said Suresh Kumar, Walmart’s chief technology officer, in a statement.

“By combining Adobe’s strength in driving commerce experiences with our unmatched omni-customer expertise, we can accelerate the digital transformation of other companies,” he said.

The move would allow retailers operating on Adobe’s commerce platform to connect to Walmart Marketplace, the retailer’s third-party seller platform, and use Walmart’s infrastructure for order fulfillment and pickup services, Walmart said. Such a connection would allow those retailers to use Walmart’s services, including two-day delivery, the companies said.

“We are excited to partner with Walmart to help Adobe retailers expand their businesses into new channels and offer shopping experiences that increase their competitiveness and align well with changing consumer behavior in an increasingly digital economy,” said Anil Chakravarthy, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Experience Business and Worldwide Field Operations at Adobe, in a statement.

Walmart’s latest technology venture follows a years-long investment push in e-commerce that has accelerated during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past year, Walmart has expanded its home delivery and pickup services and launched the Walmart+ subscription service for faster home deliveries as the retailer competes with the likes of Amazon Prime.

“We have built new capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our own customers, and we have a unique opportunity to leverage our experience to help other companies do the same,” Walmart US CEO John Furner said in a statement Wednesday.

“Commercializing our technologies and capabilities helps us sustainably reinvest in our customer value proposition,” he said.

The move also comes as the company is expanding its other businesses, including advertising, finance and healthcare. In January, Walmart announced a partnership with investment firm Ribbit Capital to build a fintech startup that would offer expanded financial services to customers, encouraging them to shop at Walmart. The retailer also touted its fast-growing advertising business, which it has renamed “Walmart Connect.”

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