CPGs Gain Trips to Wal-Mart Insights

JULIE GALLAGHER

MIAMI — Wal-Mart Stores has struck a shopper marketing deal with SymphonyIRI Group that will grant CPG companies insight into shoppers' trips at the retailer.

“Over the next few weeks we're going to be briefing our manufacturing clients on this,” said John Freeland, president and chief executive officer of SymphonyIRI, at its annual summit here last week. “We're at the beginning stages but our role is very different from the traditional role in that we'll help merchandising think through ‘how do we drive our business’ and provide them with the data, applications and solutions to get there.”

A SymphonyIRI spokeswoman could not provide further details about its relationship with Wal-Mart or SymphonyIRI's new Customer Advantage for Wal-Mart program.

Given the retailer's sharpening focus on the Hispanic consumer, it's likely suppliers will seek information about the ways Hispanics shop Wal-Mart stores.

Last week, the food retailer's senior vice president for brand marketing, Tony Rogers, advised summit attendees to reapportion marketing budgets and select sites for new stores based on 2010 census findings that show that 50.5 million Hispanics account for 16% of the U.S. population.

“We're striving to integrate Hispanics into every step of our marketing process, and beyond to merchandising and operations,” Rogers said.