The head of consumer research at LSEG, Jharonne Marti, recently examined shopper behavior and touched on Walmart’s recent public stance on pricing. The discussion highlighted the growing concerns over data‑driven price discrimination.
Walmart has publicly pledged that it will not leverage personal data or artificial intelligence to set individualized prices for its customers. The assurance comes as retailers grapple with evolving technology and consumer expectations around transparency.
In a letter released on Friday, Walmart President and CEO John Furner reiterated the retailer’s long‑standing “Every Day Low Prices” strategy. He emphasized that Walmart “prices the product, not the person,” signaling a commitment to uniform pricing regardless of consumer characteristics.
“I’ve heard concerns about companies using that information and technology to charge you more,” Furner said. “I want to tell you where we stand: we price the product, not the person.”
While prices may adjust in response to shifts in cost of goods or transportation, Furner clarified that factors such as a shopper’s income, purchase history, or urgency will not influence what they pay at checkout.
Walmart is assuring customers it will not use personal data to charge different shoppers different prices. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We won’t do it,” Furner added. “You are at the heart of our why, and our relationship with you has always been built on trust. For decades, our associates have built that trust, one interaction at a time.”
He continued, “As technology improves, we’re putting the same focus on trust and serving you as we do when you walk into our stores and clubs.”
Furner also described the rollout of digital shelf labels, a system designed to enhance price accuracy and reduce the labor‑intensive process of replacing paper tags. “A shelf price should match what rings up at checkout. Digital shelf labels help us do that more consistently by displaying the right price,” he explained. “They also save associates time replacing paper tags.”
Furner noted that the digital labeling initiative not only improves price consistency but also eases the burden on staff who previously had to manually change tags. “It may sound like an easy task – but as someone who has had to change those paper tags by hand over the years, I can tell you it’s a time‑consuming and unrewarding task,” he remarked.
The CEO also outlined Walmart’s artificial‑intelligence strategy, highlighting the launch of Sparky, an AI shopping assistant intended to provide more personalized help. “When you engage with Sparky, that’s an invitation to serve you better, not to use your personal information to set a personalized price,” Furner stated. “We’ve never used the relationships our associates have with customers to charge more, and we won’t do that with AI.”
Walmart detailed three core commitments:
- It will not set different prices based on a customer’s identity or the time of day.
- It will not use information shared through Sparky to increase prices or conceal lower‑priced options.
- It will continue to give shoppers control over how their personal data is used.
Furner concluded by emphasizing ongoing oversight: “Our people will continue to oversee pricing, and we’ll monitor and test our technology against these commitments.”
“Thank you for trusting us with part of your family’s budget. If there’s one thing I hope you take from this note, it’s how much we value the trust you place in us. Technology will keep changing. Our responsibility to earn your trust and help you save money and live better won’t,” he said.
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