Polls consistently show that Americans’ biggest concerns include high prices for groceries, gas and other everyday essentials, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on their lives and livelihoods. In tackling those issues head-on, John Furner’s recent letter to customers extends Walmart’s record of adroitly adapting its core principles in response to current marketplace conditions.
Addressed to Sam’s Club members as well as Walmart shoppers, Furner’s letter begins by talking about price — always an essential consideration for the company. “For more than 50 years, our pricing principle has been Everyday Low Prices (EDLP): low, consistent prices that you can count on without guessing whether Monday or Tuesday is the better day to shop or wondering if someone else is getting a better price than you,” Walmart’s CEO wrote. “Prices change … But using someone’s income, shopping history or moment of need to charge them more would violate the EDLP promise our business model is built on. We won’t do it.” Furner goes on to reassure customers that “you are the heart of our why,” citing the trust that Walmart has earned among the 150 million people in the U.S. who shop there every week.
The statement comes at a pivotal moment. With the proliferation of digital technology, fears about surveillance capitalism are increasing. Consumers want to know that retailers are there to meet their needs, not exploit personal data. Prompted at least in part by questions arising from the addition of digital shelf labels at Walmart stores, Furner promised that technology will not be used to adjust prices for individuals: “We price the product, not the person.”
He did, however, argue that advanced technology can be a boon for consumers. “AI has added incredible new ways for us to serve our customers and members, and it rightfully also raises questions about the information it has access to,” wrote Furner. “Understanding our customers and members is what makes us special and allows us to better serve them. For years, that has taken place in our stores and clubs as we help each customer with their individual needs.
“We want to offer that same level of personalized care when our customers shop online with Sparky, our AI shopping assistant. When you engage with Sparky, that’s an invitation to serve you better, not to use your personal information to set a personalized price. We’ve never used the relationships our associates have with customers to charge more, and we won’t do that with AI.”
As alarm over AI mounts, the letter provides a welcome instance of clarity. Many executives and researchers at leading tech firms, including Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, warn about dangers stemming from unregulated development of artificial intelligence. Of equal concern are the known instances when AI agents have escaped containment and gone rogue. As more examples come to light, calls for accountability will only get louder.
With President Trump apparently content with a lassez faire approach to AI regulation, one that leaves it to frontier developers to police themselves, companies that are applying the technology to consumer-facing businesses must craft well-defined standards and communicate them to stakeholders. Other retailers would do well to quickly follow Walmart’s lead.
