Move with the Moment: Using Walmart First-party Data to Win This Summer

How Walmart Canada first-party data can help you plan ahead, move with the moment, and see what comes next.

Kristen Rainhard

Senior Director, Walmart Data Ventures, Canada

July 2, 2026

Every four years, the world's biggest soccer tournament captures global attention. This summer, Canada becomes part of the story for the first time, welcoming matches in Toronto and Vancouver as the tournament unfolds across North America.

The scale is remarkable. Around 6 billion viewers are anticipated worldwide, and more than 5 million fans are expected to attend matches in person across North America1.

Canada's multicultural identity makes this tournament uniquely meaningful. Communities from around the world will be cheering for teams that reflect their heritage, creating moments of celebration in homes, restaurants, and gathering places across the country. Research shows that roughly 60% of fans report feeling a strong sense of national pride while watching the tournament¹.

When a Global Event Becomes a Shopping Event

For Walmart suppliers in Canada, that energy translates directly to the shelf. Canada’s host cities will feel this tournament differently from the rest of the country.

Stores and distribution centers near stadiums will see demand patterns that share little resemblance to a typical week. Basket sizes will shift. Categories that rarely move together will end up in the same cart. And because Canada’s fan base reflects the diversity of the world watching, the cultural nuances driving those purchases will vary widely by city. The suppliers most likely to succeed won't simply be the ones with inventory on hand. They'll be the ones that understand how customer behavior is changing and why.

Scintilla Tip

Scintilla can help you pinpoint where tournament-driven demand is emerging by analyzing sales and inventory performance across provinces, regions, and markets. Identifying localized demand shifts early can help support better inventory allocation where they matter most.

The Window to Win Customers Is Short

40 days. 104 matches. 16 cities. Tournament-driven demand can shift quickly, and opportunities emerge and disappear with match schedules, team performance, local excitement, and customer sentiment.

As the tournament unfolds, suppliers should be asking:

Are stores near host venues seeing a different customer mix than the rest of the market?
When sales velocity accelerates faster than expected, how quickly can you see it and respond?
Are customers who can’t find your product in-store looking for it online?
How does demand shift between match weeks, and between group stage, and knockout rounds?

These are the kinds of real-time signals that help suppliers stay one step ahead. With the right data and insights, these questions are answerable while there’s still time to take action.

Scintilla Tip

Did you know Scintilla can reveal how shopping behaviors evolve throughout the tournament, including changes in basket composition, cross-purchase patterns, and trip missions? Understanding what customers are buying together can help suppliers identify emerging opportunities and respond faster.

Turning a Global Moment into Lasting Insights

When the tournament ends, the opportunity to learn is just beginning.

What products ended up in customers' baskets during the tournament? Which items were most frequently purchased together? Would customers have bought more if a product had been available when they were ready to purchase?

These answers can inform far more than a single event. They can shape future assortment decisions, merchandising strategies, and customer engagement plans for the next major retail moment.

Scintilla helps suppliers move with the moment and carry those learnings forward long after the final whistle. By combining store-level sales and inventory visibility with shopper behavior data and channel insights, suppliers can understand not only what customers bought, but where they bought it. The result is a more complete view of customer behavior before, during, and after the tournament—turning a 40-day cultural moment into a lasting strategic advantage.

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