Wal-Mart Rejoins Nielsen Ratings

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. signed an agreement with rating giant Nielsen to share US Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam's Club sales information collected from most of the nation's food, drug, big-box, convenience, and dollar-store retailers after roughly a 10 year absence. It will take several months before the data can be fully integrated into the Nielsen system. Wal-Mart noted the deal will help identify category growth opportunities sooner and collaborate with manufacturer partners to develop better customer-driven marketing.