Carrefour vs Walmart

Actionable Raises $10M to Build Causal AI for Customer Service

Actionable, a Paris-based AI-driven customer intelligence startup, has raised €8.5 million (approximately $10 million) in a funding round led by Hi inov, with participation from existing investor Axeleo Capital. Founded in 2024 by co-CEOs Nans Thomas and Nicolas Rieul, Actionable integrates data from CRMs, CDPs, transaction systems, and web analytics into a unified customer data model. The platform automatically reconstructs customer journeys to score entire customer bases daily on churn, satisfaction, complaint risk, and repeat purchase likelihood, providing causal insights for sectors like retail, financial services, insurance, transport, energy, telecoms, and automotive. Notable clients include Carrefour, SNCF, Engie, and Edenred. The funding will support US market entry via reseller partners, scaling the platform, hiring in product, engineering, and sales, and R&D in causal AI and deterministic modeling.

• Actionable raised €8.5 million ($10 million) in a funding round led by Hi inov, with participation from Axeleo Capital.
• Founded in 2024 by Nicolas Rieul and Nans Thomas, the platform predicts churn, satisfaction, complaint risk, and repeat purchases.
• The funding will support US expansion via reseller partners, sales hiring, and development of causal AI features.

Walmart Uses AI Cameras to Monitor Stores

Walmart is deploying an AI-powered camera system across its stores to monitor floors, shelves, and checkout lanes in real time, with alerts and tasks pushed to associates via the MyWalmart app. The system detects missed scans at self-checkout, triggers restocking tasks when shelves are low (including produce ripeness assessment), and continuously monitors for safety hazards like spills or malfunctioning refrigerators. While aimed at reducing inventory shrink and improving operational efficiency, the system has generated false positives, particularly with spill detection, though accuracy is improving with model retraining. The deployment reflects a broader retail trend of turning existing camera infrastructure into sensor networks, but raises surveillance concerns among workers and labor advocates.

• Walmart uses AI cameras to monitor store floors, shelves, and checkout lanes.
• Alerts and tasks are pushed to associates via the MyWalmart app.
• System detects missed scans at self-checkout and generates restocking tasks for low shelves.

Walmart Recalls Page Adds Three New Product Recalls

Three new product recalls were added to Walmart's recalls page: Dollar Tree Stores Electric Balloon Pumps (burn hazard), Kobayashi Rechargeable Hand Warmers (fire/burn hazard), and Gobi Heat Rechargeable Hand Warmers (fire/burn hazard). All sold at Walmart.com.

Walmart launches light-up digital shelf labels to speed product finding

Walmart is rolling out three new tools tied to its digital shelf labels to help customers and associates locate products faster. The Shop to Light feature lets customers use the Walmart app to navigate to a product and flash its digital label, while Pick to Light and Stock to Light assist associates with picking and stocking. These features will be deployed companywide by the holiday season. The rollout is part of Walmart's broader technology modernization, including AI integration. The company has over 4,300 stores with digital shelf labels, covering about 90% of sections, and expects full installation by year-end. Walmart CEO John Furner addressed concerns about dynamic pricing, stating the company will not use customer data for pricing. The features have seen 5 million flashes since piloting this summer.

• Walmart is rolling out three new digital shelf label tools: Shop to Light, Pick to Light, and Stock to Light.
• The features will be deployed across all Walmart stores by the holiday season.
• Walmart has digital shelf labels installed in over 4,300 stores, covering about 90% of sections.