Walmart's Secret Weapon: The New Customer Tracking System You Didn't Know About

In a bid to better understand its customers, big box giant, Walmart, has developed a new system for tracking customer shopping and spending habits. In today's digital landscape, a vast amount of personal data is readily available, often without our explicit consent. This is similar to how we frequently accept website cookies without understanding the implications.

What is Digital Landscapes by Walmart Luminate?

Walmart is committed to enhancing the shopping experience by analyzing and understanding every step of a shopper’s journey on their website or app. The Digital Landscapes initiative is designed to optimize the user’s path to purchase. According to Walmart, these insights are particularly valuable for suppliers, allowing them to evaluate marketing and sales strategies more effectively. Notably, it helps suppliers allocate resources better to boost reach and improve campaign effectiveness.

The new method of data analysis is also aimed at increasing ad revenue by providing a more tailored experience to customers. Walmart Connect, the retailer’s U.S.-based advertising department, reported a 26% growth last quarter, indicating significant potential for growth with this new program.

Key Focus Areas of Digital Landscapes:

• Where customers start their journey to find a product.
• When customers find a product.
• How a product compares to others in the category.
• What a customer’s path to purchase looks like.

What is the goal of Luminate?

According to Walmart spokesperson Lea Ciskowski, Walmart Luminate uses data-driven insights to help suppliers make smarter, faster decisions, allowing them to anticipate customer needs more effectively. With 144 million customers shopping online and in-store weekly, this innovation is poised to set Walmart apart in data analysis.

The beta version of Digital Landscapes was unveiled on June 5, 2024, with a full rollout planned for summer. This initiative takes Walmart's existing practice of sharing customer purchase data with suppliers a step further by studying shopper patterns from the very beginning of their purchase journey, including those who browse without buying anything.