Wal-Mart's start-up incubator Store No 8 wants to find the next big technology that will disrupt the retail industry not in the next few years, but in the next few *decades*.
Co-founder Katie Finnegan joined Cheddar to discuss the business's mission.
"What we're trying to do is incubate new ideas that are generally being driven by emerging technologies," she said. "Things that are may be too nascent for the 160 million or so Americans we, Wal-mart, serve every week, but that we believe, when it becomes a viable operational reality, will have a material step-change impact."
Among those technologies: virtual reality. Store No 8 recently held an "Innovate" event in Los Angeles highlighting those advancements. Finnegan says VR will "really change the game in terms of merchandising".
While the subsidiary aims to create businesses that will eventually be acquired by the retail giant, it also knows there could be third party options.
"We have discussed that some of these things might have revenue streams outside of [Wal-Mart] and we would definitely be open to that."
Finnegan calls Store No 8 a "unicorn opportunity" for entrepreneurs. The company recently acquired Bart Stein and the team over at Wim Yogurt. It's planning at least two more acquisitions by the end of the year.
To watch the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/wal-mart-and-the-future-of-retail).
Ben Geman, Energy Reporter at Axios, joins to discuss the latest Middle East tensions, Brent crude price swings, and why gas prices aren’t falling with oil.
Al Root, Associate Editor at Barron's, joins to discuss Tesla’s robotaxis going live in Texas—what it means for autonomy, safety, and the EV race ahead.
Dena Jalbert, M&A expert and CEO of Align Business Advisory Services, on the state of U.S. M&A: deals worth $1–$10 billion (including debt) are surging.
Jeremy Jansen, Head of Supply Chain at Wells Fargo, unpacks the ongoing trade talks between the United States and China as consumers still wonder about tariffs.
A group of Democratic Texas lawmakers is asking Elon Musk to delay his rollout of driverless ‘robotaxis’ in the state this weekend to assure the vehicles are safe enough.
The billionaire slated to takeover the controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers has built a career leading businesses investing in everything from sports franchises to artificial intelligence.
IBM Fellow Jerry Chow talks IBM’s expansion of the Quantum Data Center in Poughkeepsie, installing Heron processors that deliver utility‑scale performance.
