Walmart Commits Nearly $6 Billion to Expand Automation at 25 U.S. Distribution Centers
Key Facts
Symbotic and Walmart announced on October 29, 2026, an expansion of their commercial agreement to add automation capabilities at 25 regional distribution centers in the United States, with support for further opportunities across Walmart’s global network. The agreement includes an initial commitment to spend nearly $6 billion on work across multiple sites over several years. The announcement sets a clear geographic scope for the expansion while opening the door to additional work within the retailer’s global network. Symbotic is providing the centers’ automation systems, and the company describes the amount as initial spending tied to the agreed work. In its statement, it said the agreement includes “initial spending of nearly $6 billion” over several years.
The solutions Symbotic listed include its BreakPack system for picking individual products and its SymMicro micro-fulfillment solution for e-commerce orders. The company said its proprietary software and artificial intelligence organize the flow of goods across integrated systems. The scope of work targets management of e-commerce inventory upstream of order fulfillment, alongside increased storage capacity and improved product flow through the supply chain. Walmart said these capabilities are expected to enable a broader assortment of products, greater speed and more reliable replenishment. These aims put automation at the center of storage and fulfillment operations, not just the movement of products.
Walmart outlined its operational goals for the collaboration as improving service, increasing capacity, simplifying work for employees and reducing costs. A Symbotic statement quoted a Walmart official as saying the systems “help us improve service, increase capacity, simplify work for our associates and reduce costs.” The company presents these points as aims of the expanded agreement, alongside improved storage and product flow. Walmart has said that more than 60% of its stores receive some shipments from automated distribution centers, and that automation helps reduce the cost to serve customers. It also said about 50% of its e-commerce fulfillment center volume was automated in fiscal 2026, and that 23 of its 42 regional centers were at various stages of automation upgrades.
The announcement extends a path that began in May 2022, when the two companies expanded their agreement to include Symbotic systems at all 42 of Walmart’s regional centers, up from the previous commitment covering 25 centers. Upgrade work began then, with completion expected to take more than 8 years. The new agreement adds capabilities at 25 U.S. centers, while Symbotic’s statement points to additional opportunities across Walmart’s global network. The figures show automation continuing to expand across the distribution network alongside the execution of earlier upgrades. Walmart has linked automation to improving unit productivity and reducing the cost to serve customers.
The agreement is significant for Symbotic given the company’s heavy reliance on Walmart. In its annual report for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2024, Symbotic said Walmart accounted for about 87% of its revenue and represented a large portion of its $22.4 billion backlog at that date. In its disclosure for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2025, Symbotic reported revenue of about $2.247 billion, up 26% from the prior year, while Walmart accounted for about 85% of revenue. The company said Walmart and GreenBox agreements represented the vast majority of its $22.5 billion backlog. It also said about 12% of that backlog was expected to be recognized as revenue in fiscal 2026, making the execution of the work and the timing of revenue recognition important factors in tracking the company’s results.
In its latest results published before the expansion announcement, Symbotic reported revenue of $721 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, up 22% year over year. The company posted net income of $55 million, compared with a net loss of $21 million in the same period a year earlier. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, it forecast revenue of between $760 million and $780 million, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of between $100 million and $105 million. The agreement alone does not establish a realized revenue impact, as the spending is tied to work across multiple sites over several years. Symbotic will report fourth-quarter and fiscal 2026 results after the market closes on November 23, 2026, followed by a live webcast to discuss them at 5 p.m. Eastern time the same day.