Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times,
Walmart's boss has ruled out personal pricing in a bid to alleviate customers' concerns about new pricing technology at its stores.
In a statement posted on the company's website on July 25, Walmart CEO John Furner claimed that the retail giant isn't using personal information to set prices as it rolls out digital shelf labels.
Digital pricing, driven by electronic shelf labels and artificial intelligence (AI), is increasingly enabling retailers to quickly update in-store prices rather than relying on staff to change traditional paper price signs.
"Digital price labels are rapidly replacing paper shelf tags at U.S. supermarkets," said Furner.
Some campaigners are concerned that algorithms and data-led "dynamic pricing," a pricing strategy that adjusts food prices in real time, will be used.
"We don't set different prices based on who you are or the time of day, and we won't," Furner said.
"Whether you're buying groceries or electronics on a hot afternoon or in a sudden rush for an item, it's never a reason to charge you more.
"We don't set different prices based on who you are or the time of day, and we won't."
He also said that the company won't use the information consumers share with it, whether through its agentic AI-powered shopping assistant "Sparky" or otherwise, to raise your price or hide lower-priced options that meet
