Walmart is introducing a new wave of artificial intelligence features for suppliers using its Scintilla data platform, expanding its efforts to help brands better understand customer behavior and category performance.
The retailer first launched the platform in 2021 under the name Luminate before rebranding it to Scintilla earlier in 2025.
The system gives suppliers a unified view of performance across both stores and online channels, offering insights into consumer trends at scale.
Following the recent addition of 15 new metrics to Scintilla Digital Landscapes, which draws on aggregated, anonymized data from Walmart’s website and app, the retailer’s data division, Walmart Data Ventures, plans to introduce several AI-powered tools in the coming months.
One of the new features is a conversational assistant, due in early 2026, which will allow suppliers to ask questions about specific metrics, how they’re calculated, and how they can be applied to business strategies.
Scintilla already tracks detailed analytics such as category sales, customer reach, and traffic across Walmart’s digital and physical retail environments.
“We need to always start with a customer, not start with our sales and operational metrics,” said Mark Hardy, senior vice president of Walmart Data Ventures.
“Being able to educate people at scale on customer metrics, customer behaviors, customer attitudes — that, I think, is where this will become really impactful.”
Another addition, AI-generated research summaries, will be introduced by the end of 2025 to help brands interpret customer survey data more efficiently.
These surveys are conducted with members of the Walmart Customer Spark Community — an invite-only group of shoppers who share feedback in exchange for gift cards.
Walmart also plans to add collaboration tools that let suppliers work directly with researchers when designing survey studies.
The company is further developing AI capabilities for Insights Activation, which enables users to integrate Scintilla data into self-serve, automated Walmart ad campaigns.
“Data has never been more critical to understanding our customers and anticipating their needs,” Hardy said. “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.”
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