Walmart opens customer data to supply chain partners
Select Walmart suppliers now have access to customer commentary.
The discount giant is launching a qualitative research service in its Walmart Luminate suite of data products for supply chain partners. Charter members of Walmart Luminate can now view self-recorded video clips from shoppers who participate in the Walmart Customer Spark Community, an invitation-only group of customers that provides feedback on products and services.
As part of the Walmart Luminate Customer Perception product, Luminate members can observe candid video commentary from real customers to aid efforts including sentiment analysis, concept testing, product feedback, rebranding, and store experience.
To build and analyze qualitative studies in the Walmart Luminate Customer Perception tool, participating suppliers can use the following steps:
- Define an audience granular level with Luminate’s new UPC audience targeting capability; leveraging an expanding list of over 300 category-level transactions and descriptive variables (demographic, lifestyle, etc.).
- Utilize one of Walmart’s built-in templates or fully customize the study from scratch.
- Upload their own videos or images within their study to collect conversational feedback from verified Walmart customers.
- Utilize automated sentiment analysis and responses tagged and filtered by theme.
- Explore responses in detail with in-app video playback and full transcripts.
“Importantly, I have to take a moment to thank our charter members, who were a huge source of inspiration for this launch,” Linda Lomelino, senior director at Walmart Data Ventures, said in a LinkedIn post announcing the new offering. “We could not have done it without you. And equal gratitude goes to our team of associates across Walmart Data Ventures and Walmart Global Tech who helped bring this to life and designed the tool to meet the evolving needs of our clients and our customers. Because of you, we can continue to deliver commerce on the customer’s terms.”
Current Walmart Luminate customers can begin deploying qualitative survey projects as of Sep. 8, 2022.
Walmart bolsters supply chain
Walmart is enhancing suppliers’ understanding of customer intent as it is also generally beefing up supply chain operations. In August 2022, the discount giant acquired Volt Systems, a technology company that develops solutions designed to provide suppliers with enhanced on-demand visibility into merchandising resources.
In February 2022, Walmart built a tech platform that powers its last-mile delivery ecosystem. Agnostic to supply and demand, and built around its own marketplace, the platform uses automation and machine learning to turn a near-infinite number of factors into usable data. As it learns through artificial intelligence (AI), the platform is designed to improve.
Walmart is also opening fulfillment centers around the country. These centers are focused on storing millions of items that are picked, packed and shipped directly to customers as soon as the next day.
Based in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart operates more than 10,500 stores and clubs under 46 banners in 24 countries and e-commerce websites.