Skip to content

Business & MarketsDeveloping

Walmart CEO Says Company Will Not Use Personal Data to Set Individualized Prices

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets, all right-leaning.

6 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Walmart CEO John Furner said in a Sept. 25 memo that the retailer will not use artificial intelligence or personal data to set individualized prices for customers, even as it rolls out digital shelf labels across its stores. Furner said Walmart prices “the product, not the person” and reaffirmed the company's longstanding “Every Day Low Price” pledge. The statement addressed concerns from consumer advocates about algorithm-driven “dynamic pricing.” It came the same day a public comment period closed on a Federal Trade Commission proposal that would require companies to disclose when prices are personalized, what data is used, and the basis for the pricing. Consumer Reports has documented cases, including a gallon of milk, where different shoppers paid different prices for identical items.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Walmart CEO John Furner posted a memo on Sept. 25 saying the company will not use personal data or AI to set individualized prices.

    Reported byRight

  2. Walmart is rolling out digital electronic shelf labels in its stores.

    Reported byRight

  3. Consumer advocates and campaigners have raised concerns about algorithm-driven ‘dynamic pricing’ in retail.

    Reported byRight

  4. Consumer Reports documented an example of a $4.30 gallon of milk sold to different shoppers for $3.66 and $3.22 based on personal data.

    Reported byRight

  5. The FTC issued a proposed enforcement policy statement on Aug. 19 that would require disclosure of personalized pricing, though not ban it.

    Reported byRight

  6. Companies have told the FTC that personalized pricing increased revenue by 2% to 5% and profit margins by 1% to 4%.

    Reported byRight

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    No coverage yet

    No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    4 outlets

    Right-leaning outlets largely frame the story around Furner's personal reassurance to customers, with headlines built on direct quotes (“We price the product, not the person”) or paraphrases of his pledge (“rules out,” “stands behind,” “vows no”); one outlet situates the announcement within ongoing FTC regulatory scrutiny.

    Walmart Loaded verb“vows”"Vows" frames a corporate statement as a solemn, dramatic pledge rather than a plain announcement.More neutral: saysDisagree with this highlight? no personalized pricing as FTC weighs disclosure policy
    The Center SquareRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left

    Has not covered this story.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right2

    claimedvows

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    claimedMore neutral: said

    Using "claimed" instead of "said" subtly casts doubt on the truthfulness of Furner's statement.

    In a statement posted on the company’s website on July 25, Walmart CEO John Furner claimed that the retail giant isn’t using personal information to set prices as it rolls out…

    Used byThe Epoch Times (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    vowsMore neutral: says

    "Vows" frames a corporate statement as a solemn, dramatic pledge rather than a plain announcement.

    Walmart vows no personalized pricing as FTC weighs disclosure policy

    Used byThe Center Square (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Furner's direct quotes reassuring customers
  • the rollout of digital shelf labels
  • consumer/advocate concerns about dynamic pricing
  • regulatory context from the FTC proposal
See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    The Washington Times, Sep 27, 3:59 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Washington TimesRightSep 27, 3:59 PM EDT
  2. The Epoch TimesFar RightSep 28, 8:58 AM EDT
  3. The Center SquareRightSep 28, 10:20 AM EDT
  4. New York PostRightSep 28, 10:54 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page