Walmart is developing algorithmic tools to shape how it sets prices, even as US lawmakers intensify scrutiny of data-driven pricing in grocery and retail. The retailer has secured two US patents this year covering automated markdowns and machine learning-based demand forecasting, adding to a broader portfolio of nearly 50 US patents granted to the company so far in 2026.
The best case scenario here is that this bombs spectacularly for Walmart, but any other retailers who try the same get tied up in patent litgation for decades and likewise lose their shirts in the process.