Supermarket Accuses Wal-Mart of Stealing Price Information

[losdiablosgato]

SKIATOOK, Okla. (June 15, 2005) - The owners of the Super H grocery store here have filed suit against Wal-Mart Stores, saying the Bentonville, Ark.-based mass merchant sent employees from a neighboring Wal-Mart store into Super H to scan its shelf bar codes. Greg McNeil, general manager of Super H, told SN he confiscated a bar code scanner from a Wal-Mart employee — “wearing a blue smock and name tag,” he said — and turned it over to local police, who, under the order of a District Court judge, are withholding the device from Wal-Mart. According to Steve Peters, a Tulsa-based attorney representing Super H, the retailer is charging Wal-Mart with trespassing and theft of proprietary information. At a hearing next week, Super H will ask a judge to allow it to see what information the scanner may have taken from Super H, Peters said. In a prepared statement, Wal-Mart said, "It is not uncommon for retailers, including Wal-Mart, to prices of comparable items at other retailers in town. In fact, on the very day that the alleged incident occurred, Super H also visited Wal-Mart to compare prices. Wal-Mart did not violate the law, and will vigorously defend this lawsuit."

Jon Springer

http://www.supermarketnews.com/ViewStories.cfm#8390