Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/985328
24 NWA Democrat-Gazette Walmart Shareholders Thursday, May 31, 2018 on the environment, reduced cost — several things there would have eco- nomic benefit from the production side. But [they] also might have value to the consumer with the assurance their food is being grown in a more environmen- tally friendly manner." POLLINATION DRONES Meanwhile, Walmart also describes systems in which it could use smaller drones for pollination to help offset what has been a "steady decline" in pollinating insects like bees, which can lead to reduced crop production. The pollination drones would collect pollen on sticky material or bristles as it moved from plant to plant, then deposit the pol- len on other plants. Eric Wailes, distinguished profes- sor in the Department of Agricultur- al Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas, said Walmart's farm-related patent applications are a "logical move" because it could improve productivity, reduce costs and shorten the food chain. Wailes said Walmart's potential use of drones for agricultural reasons — like improved pest control and pollination — appear to be more about productivity improvements. "If Walmart moves into contract farming with linkages to this drone technology, then that would give the company better access and probably a better cost structure to compete effec- tively with … Amazon," Wailes said in an email. There's no indication when, or if, these systems could be deployed by Walmart. The company files hundreds of patent applications each year, many of which do not materialize. Annibal Sodero, assistant professor with the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, believes several questions must be ad- dressed if Walmart intends to make its drone plans a reality: Where can they be used? Would Walmart suppliers be required to adopt the technology? Who would provide and monitor the drones? How would any data collected be used? "It is something that, face value, makes a lot of sense," Sodero said about the use of drones. "The problem or the concerns that are raised are because of the surveillance. … It's my farm, my land that is under surveillance. It raises con- cerns from the suppliers and even from a societal perspective." The global agricultural drone market was valued at about $673.8 million in 2015 and is expected to reach about $2.9 billion by 2021, according to Zion Market Research. Greenwalt believes there will be a "tremendous application" of drones and unmanned vehicles in agriculture over time as producers increasingly use technology as a substitute for the "farm- er's eyes" to help monitor crop growth. While Walmart has filed patent ap- plications that show its interest in in- creasing its involvement on farms, Gre- enwalt stressed that drone technology in agriculture remains "much bigger than Walmart." "The farmer is going to be interest- ed in this on its own," Greenwalt said. "To the extent that Walmart is looking at these technologies and wants to be a player in it ties back to their interest, and all large marketers' interest, in being a supply-chain manager and being able to tell the consumer how this product is being grown and what inputs are being used." Drones v Continued from Page 12 Walmart Inc. updated Walmart.com with a website redesign the company said is more contemporary, easier to nav- igate and personalized for customers. The Bentonville retailer's reworked website began rolling out earlier this year. The project has been in the works for several months, and Walmart U.S. e-commerce chief Marc Lore believes the results will provide a "cleaner and more modern digital shopping experi- ence" as Walmart's efforts to increase online sales continues. "It is a dramatic step change for us," Lore said in a blog post. Walmart highlighted three notable changes, beginning with an updated design featuring new photos, colors and fonts. Lore — who first publicly re- vealed Walmart's redesign plans during the company's annual meeting with the investment community in October — said in his blog post the goal is to make shopping at Walmart.com "compelling for customers" no matter what they're looking for online, whether it's diapers, laundry detergent or a dining room ta- ble. The new Walmart.com will empha- size what the retailer described as a more "personalized" experience with a section highlighting the top-selling items in a specific location. A local store pro- file will include the availability of ser- vices like online grocery and the status of online orders. It will also feature easy reorder, allowing shoppers to repurchase items they order frequently. Walmart also has set up specific on- line destinations for customers to shop categories like home decor and fashion. The company offered a glimpse earlier this year, when it introduced a revamped home section to better reflect the way customers shop for those items. The space includes curated collections, de- sign tips and nine style options. Walmart will establish a similar des- tination for fashion, which will include dedicated space for a Lord & Taylor store. "Customers shopping for groceries and household essentials want to quickly re-buy what they always purchase, while those looking for a new couch want to be inspired while browsing the different options," said Lore, who added addition- al "specialty experiences" will be built out on the new website later this year. The website redesign comes as Walmart continues to invest heavily in efforts to improve its U.S. e-commerce business to better compete with Ama- zon.com. Walmart rolls out redesigned website ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE See WEBSITE, Page 26 NWA Democrat-Gazette This screenshot shows the updated Walmart.com, featuring a website redesign the com- pany said is more contemporary, easier to navigate and personalized for customers. Walmart Inc. has started selling meal kits from third-party companies on its website, marking another initiative to increase its online offerings. Meal kits from California-based Take- out Kit and Chicago-based Home Chef are available on Walmart.com as part of a trial program. Takeout Kit Chief Executive Officer Rachael Lake declined to discuss specif- ic details, but she said a partnership with Walmart presents a "huge" opportunity for the company she founded in 2016. "We have been selling on Amazon. com and pretty successfully," Lake said. "So when Walmart approached us to partner with them and offer our products on their site, it seemed like a good fit." Meal kits have grown in popularity in recent years as consumers sought conve- nient solutions to cook at home without having to wander the aisles in a grocery store or search for recipes. Led by com- panies like Blue Apron, Green Chef and HelloFresh, sales have jumped to about $5 billion according to a research report from Packaged Facts. Retailers, grocers and food producers have explored ways to tap into the space. Earlier this year, Albertsons acquired startup Plated for about $200 million, while Kroger began offering its own line of meal kits in some stores. Campbell Soup Co. recently invested $10 million in meal kit startup Chef'd. Meanwhile, Amazon.com sells third-party meal kits on its website and is testing its own after filing for a trademark last summer. Meal kits enter retailer's Web door ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE See MEAL KITS, Page 26