Walmart Steps Up Collaboration with Suppliers
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Walmart) has made headlines in recent weeks with new initiatives that support true retailer and supplier collaboration. First, on July 21, 2011, the retailer announced its return to an information-sharing model with an agreement to share U.S. store sales data with The Nielsen Company. (Click here for more details.)
Then, just four days later, Walmart announced another initiative that would benefit the manufacturer’s ability to service the Walmart shopper. Together with SymphonyIRI Group, Wal-Mart plans to introduce a next-generation, Web-based shopper insights and collaborative planning platform called Customer Advantage in August 2011.
Then, just four days later, Walmart announced another initiative that would benefit the manufacturer’s ability to service the Walmart shopper. Together with SymphonyIRI Group, Wal-Mart plans to introduce a next-generation, Web-based shopper insights and collaborative planning platform called Customer Advantage in August 2011.
Powered by SymphonyIRI’ s Liquid Data technology, Customer Advantage leverages SymphonyIRI’s Consumer Network to deliver unique, custom, Walmart-focused shopper insights. It also provides a dedicated shopper insights portal of user-friendly, customizable reports shared between Wal-Mart and its supplier partners.
The solution contains multiple custom features, including exclusive Walmart business drivers, such as Walmart-defined shopping trips, geographies and customer segments, as well as custom report templates that support Walmart’s planning process with its supplier community.
“The Customer Advantage solution identifies and sizes opportunities among shopper segments, trips and categories that will better enable Walmart and its supplier partners to grow their businesses through a deeper understanding of our customers,” says Cindy Davis, executive vice president of Walmart global customer insights.
The solution contains multiple custom features, including exclusive Walmart business drivers, such as Walmart-defined shopping trips, geographies and customer segments, as well as custom report templates that support Walmart’s planning process with its supplier community.
“The Customer Advantage solution identifies and sizes opportunities among shopper segments, trips and categories that will better enable Walmart and its supplier partners to grow their businesses through a deeper understanding of our customers,” says Cindy Davis, executive vice president of Walmart global customer insights.