Insights From New Wal-Mart Channel Service

ACNielsen U.S has delivered the first sales information and insights from its new Wal-Mart Channel Service.

The service, which uses data gathered from the ACNielsen Homescan(R) consumer panel, was developed in response to Wal-Mart's decision over the summer to stop sharing its point-of-sale data with the market research industry. During ACNielsen's annual Category Masters conference, in August this year, the agency introduced clients to its new service and began training them on the use of household panel data for sales tracking. Delivery of the new service began this week.

Scott Keplinger, ACNielsen vice president, Retail Measurement Services, said, "The ability to track Wal-Mart's sales is critical given its marketplace importance and its recent decision to end industry-wide information sharing. Our premier consumer panel and decision-support tools allow us to fill the void created by the lack of Wal-Mart scanning data, while providing the industry with important new insights into Wal-Mart's customers."

The Wal-Mart Channel Service data are integrated into the ACNielsen Scantrack retail measurement service, which reports point-of-sale information from the grocery, drug, and combined grocery/drug/mass channels. Delivery of the information to clients is through standard ACNielsen tools. Trending, shares, prices, volumes, retail conditions, and insights into key items and promotional activities are all reported.

The Wal-Mart Channel Service provides ACNielsen clients with both Wal-Mart sales tracking information and consumer insights. Nearly 80% of Homescan panellists are Wal-Mart shoppers, including fully representative coverage of rural areas where Wal-Mart has an especially strong presence. ACNielsen's Wal-Mart Channel is the only information service in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry that captures the price Wal-Mart consumers paid for products and whether they perceived that the products purchased were being sold at some type of temporary discount.

Nick Sorvillo, ACNielsen senior vice president, Homescan Consumer Panel Services, said, "Homescan is unquestionably the gold standard in continuous household panels, with over 70% market share. Its unique ability to provide insights into price and perceived deal are providing our clients with crucial insights into Wal-Mart's sales and consumers. Given Wal-Mart's value-oriented marketing strategy, price-point information is essential in evaluating its impact on consumer shopping habits. And, our perceived deal information enables manufacturers to monitor whether their promotional efforts are registering with consumers. No other panel offers these important insights. Our solution is the industry's most accurate and comprehensive view of Wal-Mart sales outside of Retail Link - Wal-Mart's proprietary internal information system."

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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