WNC Business -- October 12, 2026:
Walmart is defending its use of digital shelf labels after an advocacy group questioned whether the company’s patented technology could enable personalized prices.
The retailer says the labels improve store operations and price accuracy. It has publicly pledged not to use them for individualized or surge pricing.
Report Draws Attention to Walmart Patents
Groundwork Collaborative published The Walmart Watchtower: Patents Speak Louder Than Pledges on October 5. Authors Lindsay Owens and Elizabeth Pancotti examined Walmart patents, patent applications and privacy disclosures, raising concerns about technology that could tailor prices and discounts to individual shoppers.
One Walmart patent, granted in 2023, describes changing prices based on merchandise a customer has already scanned. It gives an example in which someone buying tuna could be offered a different price for mayonnaise. The example does not specify whether that price would be higher or lower. The patent also describes adjusting prices based on supply and demand.
Walmart Rejects Personalized Pricing
Walmart addressed the allegations in an October 5 letter from Dan Bartlett, its executive vice president of corporate affairs.
Bartlett said Walmart does not use customers’ personal information, shopping history, urgency or estimated willingness to pay to set individualized prices. He also said the company does not raise prices in response to events such as hot weather or approaching snowstorms.
The letter specifically rejected the tuna-and-mayonnaise scenario. Bartlett said placing tuna in a customer’s cart does not cause Walmart to charge that shopper more for mayonnaise.
He also distinguished patent filings from business practices, explaining that a patent describes an invention’s potential capabilities without establishing that Walmart has deployed it or plans to do so.
In a separate statement to Retail Dive, a Walmart spokesperson said the company would not use or renew the patent associated with cart-based shelf pricing.
What Walmart Says the Labels Do
Walmart says digital shelf labels allow employees to display approved price changes without replacing paper tags by hand.
In its description of a Texas test location, the company reported that price-update work previously taking an associate two days could be completed in minutes.
The labels also support flashing-light features that help employees find merchandise for restocking and online-order fulfillment.
According to Walmart, the labels do not identify individual customers or independently determine prices.
CEO Makes Public Pricing Commitment
In a September 25 letter, John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart Inc., said the company would not set different prices based on a customer’s identity or the time of day.
Furner said using income, shopping history or an urgent need to charge someone more would violate Walmart’s Everyday Low Price promise. He also said employees would continue overseeing pricing and monitoring the company’s technology against those commitments.
The disagreement concerns what Walmart’s patented technology could enable and how the company says it operates. Groundwork points to the filings as grounds for scrutiny. Walmart maintains that digital shelf labels serve its existing pricing model and has publicly ruled out using them for individualized or dynamic pricing.