Wal-Mart is starting to turn heads in the tech world — and that might have important implications for the way we think about the future of the shopping experience. Once known for a soulless retail store experience and a hyper-efficient supply chain that delivered “everyday low prices,” Wal-Mart has been fusing innovations from the mobile and social-networking worlds to create the foundation for a radically new type of hyper-personalized shopping experience. The latest salvo from Wal-Mart is the creation of an @WalmartLabs group in the very heart of Silicon Valley — a move that might very well turn out to be the company’s most significant yet in an effort to become the undisputed leader of social commerce. Read full article >>