NPD, for the longest time, had been hampered by the fact that their data didn't reflect the sales at Walmart. That's changing now, however. Following a report back in July, in which Walmart said it would finally publish its game sales data, NPD today confirmed that it's reached an agreement with Walmart to receive and analyze its point-of-sale information. The deal covers both retail stores and Walmart.com.
It's also a wide-ranging agreement covering many other industries, besides games, that NPD regularly tracks, including Entertainment, Apparel, Home, Hardlines, and Toys. NPD and Walmart are "working together to integrate Walmart information into NPD products, which are used by thousands of decision makers at manufacturers and retailers to identify high value market opportunities and monitor business performance."
“This agreement is truly a game changer for NPD and for the industry,” said NPD President and Chief Operating Officer Karyn Schoenbart. “With Walmart data, we will be able to provide our clients with world class information and solidify our leadership position as the premier source of market insight in our industries. We look forward to offering our clients the best information ever for understanding their customers in order to drive better decisions and grow their businesses.”
“Our agreement with NPD will provide Walmart with deeper insights into what consumers are buying and what they are looking to buy,” said Cindy Davis, executive vice president of Walmart global customer insights. “We are sharing our point-of-sale information so that we’re able to identify opportunities sooner and work with our manufacturer partners to develop more impactful customer-driven programs in the future.”
