Real-Time Competitor Monitoring: How to Use the Walmart API to Automatically Track E-Commerce Prices and Promotions

In the fiercely competitive world of e-commerce, pricing and promotions are no longer one-time decisions. They require continuous monitoring and dynamic adjustment. For small to mid-sized sellers, the ability to quickly detect market shifts and competitor movements can be a decisive edge.

Imagine if you could automatically retrieve competitor prices, stock levels, and promotions every day. You’d be able to react faster, adjust strategies more accurately, and stay ahead of the competition.

1. Why Monitor Competitor Prices in Real Time?

In today’s environment, where price comparisons and flash sales are everywhere, e-commerce pricing fluctuates frequently and has a direct impact on conversion rates and customer behavior. Monitoring competitor movements enables faster decisions and smarter actions.

Here are key metrics to track, along with their business implications:

For example, if a key competitor’s item is running low on stock, you can seize the opportunity to raise prices or invest in ads to capture demand.

2. How to Collect This Data? Recommended Tool & API

Technically, you can use the LuckData eCommerce API to efficiently retrieve public product information from platforms like Walmart. Specifically, the GET Product Details endpoint can extract full product data such as:

• Current price and original price

• Discount status

• Stock availability

• Product title and subtitle

• Shipping options and delivery time

• Descriptions and specifications

Here is a sample Python API call:

import requests
headers = {
'X-Luckdata-Api-Key': 'your luckdata key'
}
url = 'https://www.walmart.com/ip/Apple-AirPods-Pro-2nd-Generation/12345678'
api_url = f"https://luckdata.io/api/walmart-API/get_vwzq?url={url}"
res = requests.get(api_url, headers=headers)
data = res.json()
print(data['price'], data['discount'], data['stock_status'])

You can structure a list of competitor URLs and use batch requests to automate your product monitoring pipeline.

3. Build an Automated Price Monitoring System in 3 Steps

Step 1: Build a Competitor Database

Start by collecting and organizing information about the products you want to monitor, such as product name, SKU, URL, brand, and category. You can use Excel, Notion, or a proper database system like SQLite or MongoDB.

Example format:

[
{"name": "AirPods Pro", "url": "https://www.walmart.com/ip/xxx", "brand": "Apple"},
{"name": "Beats Studio Buds", "url": "https://www.walmart.com/ip/yyy", "brand": "Beats"}
]

Step 2: Schedule API Calls to Update Data

Use Python and a scheduling library like schedule (or cron jobs, Airflow, etc.) to fetch updated data every day automatically.

import schedule
import time
def monitor_prices():
for item in product_list:
response = requests.get(f"...get_vwzq?url={item['url']}", headers=headers)
# Save to database or Excel
schedule.every().day.at("08:00").do(monitor_prices)
while True:
schedule.run_pending()
time.sleep(60)

This will ensure your database stays updated daily and can be used for alerts and trend analysis.

Step 3: Alert on Changes & Visualize the Data

When differences between today’s and yesterday’s prices or inventory levels are detected, you can send alerts. Use the following tools for visualizations and notifications:

• Matplotlib, Plotly to generate trend charts

• Streamlit, Power BI, Tableau to build dashboards

• SMTP, Slack webhook, WeCom for notifications or reports

4. Case Study: Monitoring Headphone Competitor Pricing on Walmart

Below is a sample comparison of two headphones tracked using the system:

Insights:

• Both products are discounted, likely due to a seasonal sale

• Beats has a deeper discount and may be running a limited-time clearance

• Consider promoting bundle deals or launching targeted ads to compete more effectively

5. Why Use LuckData’s API?

These features make LuckData a powerful solution for businesses looking to monitor competitive activity without investing in complex internal scraping systems.

6. Conclusion: Intelligent Competitor Monitoring Gives You a Pricing Edge

Price monitoring is no longer a luxury exclusive to big enterprises. With reliable eCommerce APIs like LuckData, any seller can build their own competitive intelligence system.

From prices and stock to promotions and launches—when you have the data, you gain the power to act fast, adjust dynamically, and stand out in the price-sensitive battlefield of e-commerce.

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