Walmart plans to invest $1 billion in Canada this year.

$330 Million will go towards remodeling approximately 80 Canadian stores in 2023. In addition to the obvious refreshment of the interior and exterior of the stores they would like to expand product assortments to give them a better look and feel. They will also upgrade technology to make the experience faster and easier for customers.

They are building a new 457,000 square foot fulfillment centre near Montreal in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec to service both Quebec and Atlantic Canada. It will be capable of storing 500,000 items and shipping 20 million items annually to local customers.

After a 70 store pilot program with automated cameras from Focal Systems Walmart plans to roll them out to more stores. The system works by deploying on shelf cameras throughout the store to automatically detect out-of-stocks, low inventory and ensure planogram compliance which should drive higher on-shelf availability and operational efficiency.

In an effort to align with the Canadian government’s plan to eliminate single use plastics and to encourage customers to ditch single use plastic bags Walmart’s in Guelph, Ontario will offer a rentable bag kiosk. Customers can rent as many bags as needed for one shopping trip for $1 or subscribe for $3 per month for unlimited usage and trips. They will receive a refund as long as the bags are returned within 30 days. The bags will be cleaned and quality checked before being returned to the rental program.