Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) plans to open its fifth 'next-generation' fulfillment center in Stockton, California, in 2026.
The company will hire more than 1,000 skilled associates for the unit for various positions, including tech-focused jobs.
The advanced facility will be equipped with an automated storage and retrieval system that simplifies a previously manual, 12-step process to merely five steps.
The innovative technology brings advantages such as enhanced comfort for associates, doubling the storage capacity, and enabling Walmart to fulfill twice the number of customer orders daily, thereby extending next- or two-day shipping for its customers.
The retailer's new 900,000-square-foot facility, situated at 150 Mariposa Road in Stockton-approximately 50 miles south of Sacramento-will facilitate quicker and more efficient fulfillment of online orders across the West Coast.
"In response to increasing customer demand for online shopping, we are implementing technology to enhance delivery speed and accuracy for our customers, all the while creating new and exciting technology-empowered career paths for our associates," said Karisa Sprague, senior vice president, Fulfillment Network Operations for Walmart U.S.
Walmart currently has 8 distribution centers, 4 fulfillment centers, 309 retail stores and employs 100,140+ associates in the state of California.
Price Action: WMT shares are trading higher by 0.51% to $159.03 on the last check Thursday.