Walmart (NYSE: WMT) is embracing 3D printing technology for commercial construction, deploying the method across multiple store locations throughout the United States.

The retail giant has worked with contractors utilizing 3D-printed construction for store walls in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri over the past several years.

Contractor FMGI, which has partnered with Walmart on these projects, reports that using robots to print walls reduces construction costs by 15% and cuts production times by 33%.

Darin Ross, president and CEO of FMGI, expressed enthusiasm for the shift, telling Fast Company: “This is what keeps me excited. For 30 years, I’ve watched the construction industry just do it the same way over and over.”

Ross added: “We as an industry are way behind in adopting new technology and new ways of doing things,” underscoring his conviction that the sector is overdue for disruption.

FMGI relies on 3D printers manufactured by Alquist, which build walls by spreading successive layers of a concrete composite material on top of each other.

The printing process does come with operational constraints, as the machinery requires fine-tuning, cannot function in severe winds, and needs the concrete mix maintained at a high temperature to flow properly.

FMGI acknowledged a steep learning curve when it first transitioned to 3D-printed construction for Walmart, with the initial job taking 40 days to complete before the second job was finished in just one week.

The company is now in negotiations to 3D print a 50,000 square foot grocery store for Walmart, a project that would become the largest 3D-printed building in the world if the deal is finalized.

Upcoming projects also include a series of standalone fuel stations for the retailer, signaling a significant expansion of the 3D printing partnership beyond standard store construction.

Walmart is not alone in exploring the technology, as SpaceX has used 3D printing on a pair of buildings at its Texas campus, pointing to growing commercial interest across industries.

Icon, an Austin-based construction firm, has used a similar construction method to build 263 structures across the United States and Mexico, and has also completed a hotel while holding discussions about constructing data centers.

Icon co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard told CNBC: “I think once that’s out in the world, showing what it can do, verifying the cost estimations that we’re making to customers, I think that’ll probably open a lot of people’s eyes.”

Ballard also noted: “I think we should expect to see a lot of interest in alternative ways of construction, data centers and other kinds of commercial things as well,” suggesting the market could be on the cusp of a major shift.

Icon is set to roll out a new printer called Titan, designed specifically for larger-scale projects, which industry observers expect will accelerate commercial adoption of the technology.

3D-printed buildings require fewer workers on site, a key driver of cost savings, though the workers who are present must be specially trained to operate the robotic equipment involved.

As Walmart scales its use of 3D construction methods, analysts and industry watchers expect competing retailers to take notice, particularly as the cost and time advantages become increasingly difficult to ignore.