Wal-Mart Using Data to Help Poor Shoppers: CIO

MICHAEL GARRY

SAN ANTONIO — Wal-Mart Stores is analyzing data to help lower-income shoppers get through hard economic times, according to Rollin Ford, executive vice president and chief information officer.

In a presentation here yesterday kicking off U Connect 2010, the annual conference held by GS1 US and VICS, Ford said that in certain countries and markets, the company’s data indicates that shoppers have a particularly hard time at the end of the month.

“We have some countries around the world where we offer different pack sizes by time of month because of the paycheck cycle,” he said. For example, he added, “there are markets where we offer individual diapers because large packs are not affordable during certain times of the month.”

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