Research firms to gather Wal-Mart data

Bentonville, Ark. – Three months after locally based Wal-Mart said it would stop sharing its sales data to third-party gatherers, two market research firms are now asking consumers to help compile information about merchandise sold at Wal-Mart stores.

Stamford, Conn.-based ACNielsen and Chicago-based Information Resources Inc say they will ask a combined 132,000 consumers to record their purchases at Wal-Marts across the nation.