Walmart pledges to reject surveillance pricing amid consumer value focus

Walmart CEO John Furner has pledged that the company will not engage in surveillance pricing, a practice where personal data is used to charge individual shoppers different prices. In a letter to customers, Furner stated, “We price the product, not the person,” affirming that the retailer will not use income, shopping history, or perceived willingness to pay to manipulate costs. This commitment addresses growing regulatory scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission and new legislation in states like Illinois and Minnesota regarding AI and digital pricing technologies.

Separately, Walmart executives expressed optimism regarding consumer resilience despite rising fuel costs. At a Goldman Sachs investor conference, Walmart U.S. CEO David Guggina noted that the company is seeing market share gains in food, consumables, and health and wellness due to its focus on value. Guggina highlighted that Walmart has utilized approximately $2.9 billion in tariff refunds to fund “price investments,” helping to keep costs low for consumers even as energy prices fluctuate.