Walmart says it prices products, not people. A consumer advocacy group says the company's patents describe technology that could do the opposite, and the two sides traded public statements on Monday, Oct. 5.

That day, Groundwork Collaborative released "The Walmart Watchtower," a report by its president and CEO, Lindsay Owens, and vice president Elizabeth Pancotti that examines more than a decade of Walmart patent filings. Walmart's executive vice president of corporate affairs, Dan Bartlett, answered with an open letter to Owens asking her to "correct the record."

Walmart Draws Line on Personalized Pricing as Patents Fuel Skepticism

Walmart's position

"The facts are straightforward. We price products, not people," Bartlett wrote. "Walmart does not and will not use an individual customer's personal information, income, shopping history, urgency or willingness to pay to set an individualized price. We do not engage in dynamic pricing, raising prices in response to a hot afternoon or an approaching snowstorm, for example."

He also addressed the patents directly. "A patent describes an invention and potential capabilities. It does not mean that Walmart has deployed a capability, used it with customers or decided to do so in the future," he wrote. On digital shelf labels, he said they "replace paper tags and allow approved price changes to be displayed more efficiently and consistently. They do not identify customers, nor do they independently set prices."