What does Lindsay Owens say about Walmart's electronic shelf labels and patents?

Lindsay Owens said every Walmart in the US is due to have electronic shelf labels by the end of 2026, which she calls the infrastructure for pricing everything dynamically, for example raising ice cream prices on hot days. Walmart denies using them that way. She also pointed to Walmart patents covering scan-and-go pricing that changes mayonnaise prices once tuna is in the cart, heart-rate and glucose tracking, an appeasement engine for complaints and parking-lot cameras that measure car suspension.

• Owens said Walmart pledged not to renew the tuna-and-mayonnaise patent, but it does not expire until 2039.
• Owens said about 30% of Walmart's net operating income now comes from its media business.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

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