Walmart Data Ventures Shapes the Next Era of Insight-Driven Retail Innovation

Walmart Data Ventures showcased new advancements in retail insights technology at its annual Inspire event, placing customer-centric innovation and supplier empowerment at the forefront. Central to this evolution is Scintilla, Walmart's powerful insights ecosystem, which is redefining what's possible in retail by making advanced data and analytics accessible to all. By empowering suppliers with actionable insights, Scintilla is helping to raise the bar for excellence across the entire industry.

For the first time, Walmart Data Ventures shared Scintilla subscribers outpaced their peers, with total omni sales increasing by 15% and digital sales growing even faster¹ compared to non-subscribers. Over 30 case studies from suppliers across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada reinforced this by showcasing how first-party insights from Scintilla are delivering measurable business growth, even in a dynamic economic climate.

"Data has never been more critical to understanding our customers and anticipating their needs. But data alone is only as valuable as our ability to interpret and act on it. With Scintilla, we're delivering more than just data - we're providing actionable insights that empower our clients to make smarter decisions and unlock new opportunities," said Mark Hardy, senior vice president, Walmart Data Ventures. "The momentum we're seeing - both within our Walmart teams and across our supplier community - is incredible. By equipping users with richer insights through a more seamless experience, we're actively shaping the future of retail and redefining what it means to be data-driven."

This vision comes to life through new research findings and platform capabilities that highlight Scintilla's unique ability to fuel customer-centric innovation, unlock deeper insights, and help suppliers move quickly - from insight to action.

Powering customer-centric innovation

Keeping the customer at the center of every decision is essential for meaningful innovation and business growth - especially at scale. The Walmart Customer Spark Community exemplifies this approach by providing direct access to a double opt-in group of verified Walmart shoppers. Over the past year, this community has grown by 168%, more than doubling the number of customers suppliers can engage with in real time. This means suppliers can more effectively listen to, survey, and test new ideas, products and messaging with more Walmart customers.

When launching new products, it's essential that the data truly reflects what customers want. In a new independent study, Data Quality Co-Op found the Walmart Customer Spark Community delivered more authentic, thoughtful, and fraud-free insights than other industry panels, ensuring decisions are based on real consumer sentiment rather than survey noise. By prioritizing authentic customer feedback at every stage, suppliers can confidently bring products to market that truly resonate with Walmart shoppers.

Accelerating insights to action

What truly sets Scintilla apart is how rapidly the platform enables action. The connected, intuitive experience puts critical insights at users' fingertips, while newly announced features - like AI-powered research summaries - will allow suppliers to quickly understand what their survey results mean without needing to manually analyze every response.

Walmart Data Ventures also announced the upcoming integration of a new, AI-powered intelligence tool coming to Scintilla. This intelligent data companion will help users better understand key metrics and how to interpret them for their business. By making data more accessible, this technology is helping suppliers build confidence in using data, improve performance, and understand what they should do next.

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, Scintilla stands out as a catalyst for smarter, faster, and more customer-focused decision making. By combining robust data, innovative technology, and direct customer engagement, Scintilla is empowering suppliers to unlock new levels of growth and agility. The future of retail is being shaped by those who can turn insight into action - and with Scintilla, that future is within reach.

¹ This analysis compares data from Oct 2023-Sep 2024 (T1) and Oct 2024-Sep 2025 (T2). New Walmart suppliers with $0 sales in T1 were excluded, along with Pharmacy Rx.