Wal-Mart Stores Ends Partnership With Google On Local Shopping Ads

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., ended its participation in Google Inc.'s Local Inventory Ads local advertising platform. An early test partner for the program, Wal-Mart cited concerns about sharing inventory and pricing data with the Internet giant as among its reasons for ending its partnership with Google. Launched in 2013, the Local Inventory Ads program requires retailers to provide Google with store inventory information so it can inform users when products are available in nearby stores. Wal-Mart also told Google that it plans to offer a similar local-inventory service, instead of outsourcing it to Google. Wal-Mart, which has 5,000 stores and is more capable than other retailers to offer local-inventory search services for smartphone users, said Local Inventory Ads forced it to compete with smaller retailers to attract shoppers.