8th & Walton
8th & Walton

8th & Walton

8th & Walton

Overview
Episodes

Details

Win with Walmart

Recent Episodes

Happy New Walmart Fiscal Year!
FEB 3, 2025
Happy New Walmart Fiscal Year!

Best Practices for Walmart Suppliers

Welcome to the new year! We wish you success and prosperity in 2025!

With the new year, you as a Walmart supplier will see exciting new opportunities. When considering Best Practices, it’s critical that you understand the importance of aligning with Walmart’s goals and expectations. For greater success in the coming year, think over each of the recommendations below and implement as many as you can.

Review Walmart’s Year-End Reports and Performance Metrics

This is a key element to Best Practices.

  • Analyze OTIF (On Time In Full) sales trends and compliance scores from the past year.
  • Identify areas of success to replicate.
  • Find opportunities for improvement.
  • Use data insights to set measurable goals for the new year

Stay Updated on Walmart Policies and Initiatives

Align your processes with Walmart’s goals so you become a better Walmart supplier.

  • Brush up on Retail Link©.  Walmart’s web-based platform continues to serve as a critical tool for suppliers to access data, manage inventory, and collaborate with Walmart on sales performance and operational efficiency. Although Luminate™ is now handling what was once DSS, Retail Link™ still has a lot to offer. It is not going away.
  • Understand Walmart’s key focus areas for the year, such as online presence to support Walmart’s push for more and better online market share.
  • Aim to incorporate Walmart’s quest for younger, wealthier shoppers into your business.

Prioritize Communication and Collaboration

Both are critical elements in your relationship with Walmart. They cannot be overemphasized.

  • Schedule meetings with your Walmart buyer so that you align on expectations and strategies.
  • Share updated business plans, inventory forecasts, and promotional calendars.
  • Maintain transparency. Walmart wants to know what is happening with you and your products. If something is going awry, tell them. Don’t let them find out on their own. If you give them notice, they have the chance to deal with a difficulty in a timely and more efficient manner.

Optimize Inventory and Supply Chain Management

A huge topic. Here are two tips that should improve your year ahead.

  • Always plan for post-holiday replenishment based on recent sales and forecast data and plan production to match post-holiday forecasts.
  • Leverage Walmart’s tools like Retail Link© and Luminate™ to give you better visibility into demand patterns.

Leverage Technology to Enhance Efficiency

Tomorrow is here. Don’t delay. Meet it head on.

  • Invest in tools that streamline processes like EDI or inventory tracking.
  • Use data analytics to forecast demand and optimize replenishment cycles.
  • Stay ahead of the curve. Master Walmart’s Supplier One platform so you can use it with confidence. (You can learn Supplier One, Luminate™, and other key topics crucial to your success. 8th & Walton classes give you the knowledge you need and the confidence seek.)

Focus on Walmart.com

Don’t be satisfied because your items are already listed. There is more to do!

  • Make certain your listings are accurate and robust.
  • Consider using Walmart Connect to sponsor and advertise/promote your products.
  • Create an online strategy and share it with your buyer.

Plan and Execute Promotional Strategies

Get a head start by working on this at the start of the new year. Be ahead of the pack!

  • Collaborate with Walmart to plan promotions and rollbacks for the year.
  • Develop innovative marketing campaigns to boost visibility and sales, including potentially using social media.
  • Ensure that promotional plans align with Walmart’s customer engagement goals.

Conclusion

As you implement these Best Practices, recognize that adopting them builds a stronger partnership with Walmart.

Other things to think about:

  • Keep updated on Luminate™/ Scintilla™ news at 8th & Walton’s Luminate™ Hub.
  • Review other Walmart options like product catalog / product introduction.
  • To prepare for the possibility of supply chain interruptions, develop an e-commerce strategy for the year.
  • Look ahead to seasonality you might experience — particularly grocery and items of high consumption in summer and especially items made overseas / imported in fall.

Ready to strengthen your Walmart partnership? Fill out the form below, and our team will be in touch to discuss your needs and help you implement these best practices effectively.


The post Happy New Walmart Fiscal Year! appeared first on 8th & Walton.

play-circle
-1 MIN
Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR)
JAN 14, 2025
Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR)

Retailers and suppliers work together to grow sales and lower costs. Achieving one or both of these goals begins by making improvements to the supply chain. From the purchase of raw materials to the final customer purchase, small supply chain improvements can mean huge profits added to the bottom line annually.

But what is the first step in improving the supply chain? It’s actually improving the process of improving the supply chain. Individual partners can improve their area of the supply chain, but a good decision manufacturing could have adverse repercussions in distribution.

Openly sharing planning and communication between the supply chain links creates the opportunity for smoother transitions and deters costly errors. This process of supply chain improvement collaboration is known as CPFR.

What Is CPFR?

Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) is a set of actions taken by supply chain partners to plan and communicate tasks to meet customer demand while reducing cost. It includes business planning, sales forecasting, and replenishment of raw materials and finished goods.

Why Is CPFR Important?

CPFR supports the goal all suppliers and retailers strive for: get product to the customer at the lowest cost possible. By focusing on a collaborative effort from all parties in the supply chain, opportunities and details are not missed by each area working in a silo.

The CPFR process streamlines many supply chain functions, lowers costs in inventory and logistics, and improves supply chain efficiency and inventory movement. By establishing a common process and defined metrics, CPFR aids retailers and suppliers in improving their processes and reaching their goals. Better communication and collaboration are key to the successful implementation of CPRF.

What Are the Key Features of CPFR?

CPFR can be broken down into four key features:

1. Strategy and Planning

Strategy and planning require charting out or defining the collaborative working and communication between all partners in the supply chain. This is also where procedures, responsibilities, and individual roles are defined.

2. Demand and Supply Management

Demand and supply management lays out the goals for profit. This includes the company’s planning of orders, forecasting orders, and the actual sales.

3. Execution

Execution takes on the physical work laid out by the previous processes. This piece involves all areas responsible for producing, stocking, dispatching, and delivery of materials to retailers or customers.

4. Analysis

Analysis goes back and examines the effectiveness of the process. How did we do? The CPFR analysis brings into account the management of exceptions in the fulfillment process and the assessment of supply chain performance.

What Is the CPFR Process?

Using the key features listed above, the CPFR process is laid out in nine actionable steps:

  1. Develop an agreement between supply chain partners. It’s very important to define the conditions for CPFR cooperation in the beginning. Retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers must be in agreement on how they will increase communication and formalize any procedures and processes.
  2. Create one business plan. The business plan has to be developed and agreed upon at the beginning. This ensures every participant in the supply chain shares a common goal for the success of the businesses. This is not a mission statement or vague “wish list” of goals. The business plan has to spell out precise information on the organizational management of the partners as well as order data.
  3. Forecast the sales. Using the business plan created in Step 2, sales are now forecasted. When forecasting sales, take into account production and inventory planning.
  4. Identify exceptions/deviations in the sales forecast. This is the time to compare various forecasts made at different stages in the supply chain. Look for significant exceptions or deviations. This will help identify any fluctuations early in the process.
  5. Resolve exceptions/deviations in the sales forecast. Communicate all exceptions and deviations immediately to the responsible and impacted partners. Adjust the sales forecast after the exceptions and deviations have been clarified.
  6. Create the order forecast. Retailers and suppliers develop an order forecast based on the sales data. This relies on the framework conditions of the business plan.
  7. Identify exceptions/deviations in the order forecast. This is similar to the action taken in Step 4. Analysis is done on exceptions or deviations between the various order forecasts of retailers and suppliers.
  8. Resolve exceptions/deviations in the order forecast. This is similar to the action taken in Step 5. Exceptions and deviations are communicated, updated, and renewed in the order forecast.
  9. Generate the orders. The actual ordering of the goods happens upon receiving the final order forecast.

What Are the Disadvantages of CPFR?

How can a more collaborative process aimed at lowering costs have disadvantages? While not a disadvantage, per se, the biggest hurdles come at the beginning: change and implementation.

Companies new to adopting CPFR have to be prepared to get out of their silos. It can be a major change (albeit a good one) for their company culture. Opening lines of communication between different areas of the supply chain can also bring increased responsibility and trust to new areas (confidentiality, non-disclosure agreements, etc.).

Implementation is merely getting the company executives to agree to CPFR. A better supply chain process is an easy sell, but changing company processes is never a smooth talk. Once the decision-makers can see the payoff and be assured of shared trust amongst the collaborating areas, CPFR can sell itself.

Does Walmart Use CPFR?

The CPFR model was an initiative co-led by Walmart in 1995. The company began piloting the model with select suppliers in Walmart Stores soon after. As early as 1997, the CPFR model was having positive impacts on store stock. One item with the most improvement was Listerine. After implementing CPFR, Listerine’s in-stock average went from 87% to 98%.

Walmart still uses the basics and transparency of CPFR with its suppliers via Retail Link®. The company gives suppliers access to a single forecast number so they can provide feedback on other factors impacting the number and recommend adjustments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no ‘one fit for all’ strategy for CPFR — the basic procedure described in this piece could be altered in any way you like for your company. It is an iterative process that is process-driven, which means that is affected by the working practices in the partner companies. There needs to be a change in internal processes to adapt to the new normal on implementing CPFR.

To learn more about improving supply chain processes and working with Walmart, request a free consultation from 8th & Walton.
Complete the form below to schedule your free consultation.

The post Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) appeared first on 8th & Walton.

play-circle
-1 MIN
Changes Ahead for Walmart’s Luminate™
JAN 10, 2025
Changes Ahead for Walmart’s Luminate™

NoteOn Feb. 5, 2025, Walmart rebranded Luminate™ as Scintilla™.

US Walmart suppliers began using, Luminate™, Walmart Data Venture’s insights ecosystem, last year. In 2025, suppliers should look for two changes:

1. Luminate™ will be getting an even shinier new name.
2. Canadian Walmart suppliers will have greater access to the system.

What is Luminate™?

Walmart Luminate™ is the new reporting system for Walmart US suppliers. (Walmart suppliers still must access Retail Link© for applications, communications, and other tools outside of sales reporting.) Replacing Decision Support Systems (DSS), Luminate™ improves reporting, providing more information for suppliers and enhancing the tools used for forecasting. In short, Luminate™ helps streamline a supplier’s reporting processes to make the most of Walmart’s data.

What is Scintilla™?

In October 2024, Walmart Data Ventures hosted a gathering of suppliers and merchants for its Inspire event to announce that Luminate™ will rebrand to Scintilla™. The new name is the Latin term for “spark,” signifying that a single insight can ignite a new idea and create significant impact. The main concept of the tool itself will remain largely unchanged.

The re-branding in 2025 of Luminate™ to Scintilla™ continues to offer these improvements in reporting: improved inventory management with real-time data, optimized product assortment by analyzing which products perform best, and enhanced customer understanding by providing detailed insights into shopper demographics, behaviors, and preferences.

The three primary modules of functionality in Luminate™ will continue in Scintilla™: Channel Performance, Shopper Behavior, and Customer Perception. Shopper Behavior and Customer Perception are included in the Charter (paid) versions. Channel Performance is the Basic (free) version that aims to give small to medium suppliers access without a fee.

Luminate’s™ Launch in Canada

One of the three features of Luminate™ — Shopper Behaviour — was already launched in Canada this fall. That module is a paid version of Luminate™, and it allows Canadian Walmart suppliers who have purchased it to understand customer purchasing patterns, preferences, and loyalty trends. Its key features include:

  • Basket analysis to identify complementary products
  • Tracking of repeat purchases and customer retention metrics
  • Segmentation of customers by demographics and purchase habits

Looking ahead, the Customer Perception feature and Channel Performance feature of Luminate™ are expected to come to Walmart Canada, too. (In the United States version, the Channel Performance feature is Luminate™ Basic and is free.)

Luminate™ Feature Paid or Free US Canada
Channel Performance Free Available now To come
Shopper Behavior Paid Available now To come
Customer Perception Paid Available now Available now

 

NOTE FROM AUTHOR: This past year, I assisted hundreds of Walmart US suppliers who were learning Luminate™. That’s been so rewarding. Now I’m excited to help Walmart Canada suppliers as they transition to this reporting system. I enjoy helping suppliers build meaningful reports, because, of course, valuable reports lead to greater success with Walmart, and that’s exactly what 8th & Walton sets out to do – help suppliers become better partners with Walmart.

Let 8th & Walton provide your team with a smooth and timely transition to Luminate™ Basic. Whether you’re just getting started or need expert guidance, we’re here to help.

Ready to make the switch? Fill out the form below, and our team will be in touch to discuss your needs and schedule a consultation.


  • US Walmart suppliers: 8th & Walton teaches Luminate™ Basic. We do not teach Luminate™ Charter.
  • Canadian Walmart suppliers: 8th & Walton will teach Luminate™ Basic when Channel Performance is launched in Canada.

The post Changes Ahead for Walmart’s Luminate™ appeared first on 8th & Walton.

play-circle
-1 MIN
3 Pitfalls and Solutions for Walmart Sidekick Promotions
NOV 18, 2024
3 Pitfalls and Solutions for Walmart Sidekick Promotions

You have a great product. You have terrific packaging. Now, to get the customer’s attention,  you’ve developed a wonderful sidekick display. And your buyer just approved it!

A game changer. That’s what launching a Walmart sidekick promotion can be. It’s great if you’re looking to increase visibility and sales – but take heed: A sidekick promotion is not without its challenges. From start to finish, a sidekick is work. Work with a big payoff perhaps, but definitely work.

If you’re launching a sidekick display in Walmart, our 8th & Walton team hopes you will avoid these common pitfalls:

  1. Underestimating the cost
  2. Assuming Walmart will drive the sales
  3. Abandoning the process too soon

Instead, our 8th & Walton experts want you to keep these ideas in mind:

1. Proper execution is critically important.

In-store execution is often inconsistent because no two stores are the same. Even though your buyer may approve the promotion, there is certainly no guarantee that every store will execute it flawlessly.
Not only do displays have to be put on store shelves, some of them have to first be constructed – by someone in the Walmart back room.

The reality is that Walmart store teams are busy, so if your display requires any sort of assembly it must be quick and easy to set up. If you have two pages of instructions telling how to build your display, some stores will never build it. And if it’s never set up or if it’s set up incorrectly, you will lose valuable sales.

After you’ve done your best to make sure your display is easy to assemble, the next step to proper execution is to be sure it actually gets put in place. To give your promotion the best chance of success, a third-party service provider can make sure your sidekick is set up in the stores and is properly displayed.Yes, this is an additional cost, but failure to have the support you need can lead to poor execution, ultimately making your promotion weak.

Tip: If you don’t have the staff to manage this properly, consider hiring an in-store service provider to check and confirm that your sidekicks have actually been set up in specific stores.

2. You (not Walmart ) are responsible for promoting your product.

Some suppliers assume that once a sidekick is in-store, Walmart will take care of selling the product. Not so. While Walmart provides the setting for your sidekick, handles its distribution and ensures your product reaches the store, the responsibility of driving a  customer to make a purchase lies with you, the Walmart supplier.

So you need to do the marketing. You are the one who must build the strategies to encourage shoppers to pick up your product. This might involve additional efforts such as in-store signage, digital promotions, or even influencer campaigns to get customers excited about your sidekick display and eager to get their hands on your product.

Tip: Build a marketing plan to accompany your sidekick promotion – one that excites your potential customers about using your product and directs them to it in the store.

3. Stick with it until the sidekick is on the shelf — and beyond.

Don’t assume everything will go smoothly from beginning to end, and don’t think that once the sidekick leaves the warehouse, your work ends. Products can get delayed or misplaced in stores, and when that happens, your promotion won’t get the exposure you expected.

You need to own the process all the way to the store shelf and throughout the life of the promotion. This means following up on sidekick placements, checking if your products are displayed properly in the sidekick, addressing any issues quickly, and monitoring all activities.

Tip: Stay engaged throughout the entire process. From shipping to shelf placement and throughout the life of the promotion, be ready to intervene if things don’t go according to plan.

If you are a new Walmart supplier, start off on the right foot. Get expert guidance from 8th & Walton experts with decades of Walmart experience. We would be happy to help you.

Contact us today to learn more about how 8th & Walton can help you build your business with Walmart.

Get your free consultation today and take your Walmart strategy to the next level!

Conclusion

Launching a sidekick promotion at Walmart can be a great way to boost your product’s visibility. Just be sure to allow enough time and talent for checking all the details of every aspect, and plan to stay engaged throughout the process. It is you who must do the heavy lifting, and your active involvement from start to finish is the key to making sure your sidekick gets all the attention it deserves and all the sales you are hoping for.

 

The post 3 Pitfalls and Solutions for Walmart Sidekick Promotions appeared first on 8th & Walton.

play-circle
-1 MIN
Luminate™ Column Names:  6 Key DSS Renames
NOV 18, 2024
Luminate™ Column Names: 6 Key DSS Renames

NoteOn Feb. 5, 2025, Walmart rebranded Luminate™ as Scintilla™.

One of the first things Walmart suppliers notice when they begin working with Walmart’s Luminate™ is the difference between the names of the columns and the familiar Decision Support column names. *

To help you, 8th & Walton has selected six renamed, frequently-used terms and the reasons behind those changes.

DSS COLUMN NAME > LUMINATE™ COLUMN NAME

Item Nbr > Walmart Item Number
This change reflects Walmart’s branding and provides clear, recognizable terms for item tracking, making it more intuitive for users, especially new users.

Item Desc 1 > Item Name
This change aligns with standard product naming conventions and reduces confusion by eliminating the previous terminology, which could be ambiguous to new users.

UPC > Walmart UPC Number
This change makes the reporting data more uniform across platforms and clearly indicates that it’s the Walmart-specific UPC.

Vendor Stk Nbr > Vendor Stock ID
This change provides clearer labeling, using a more widely recognized term across industries.

Net Ship Qty > Net Receipt Quantity – This Year AND Gross Ship Qty > Gross Receipt Quantity – This Year

These updated and expanded terms help users distinguish between net and gross amounts more clearly.

How to find the names of other column re-names in Luminate™

Luminate™ includes features to make these column name changes more accessible. When selecting a column, hover over it, and a gray box will appear, providing the column’s current name, alias name (the previous name used in Decision Support), and a brief description of what it represents. This hover functionality makes it easy to transition without needing to memorize every new name.

If you need help with names and data attributes

To access support directly within Luminate™:

  1. Click the three lines at the top right of your Luminate™ dashboard.
  2. Locate and select the Support button.
  3. Within the Support page, find the Attributes and Glossary section.
  4. Here, you can access the Data Dictionary (also available at https://www.walmartluminate.com/dataDictionary).

The Data Dictionary enables you to search for specific columns, view current definitions, and get more context on each column’s function and data scope.

If you need further help
Luminate™ Basic can make a supplier’s work easier, but learning it can take time and be frustrating. 8th & Walton has experts who can help you learn Luminate™ accurately and quickly so you feel confident about your work. You can get answers directly from a person with decades of Walmart experience who is ready up to the minute with Luminate™. Our team is happy to assist you.

8th & Walton also has set up Luminate™ Hub to help Walmart suppliers. To learn more about the Luminate™ Basic class or other services, please complete the contact form below for more information.

Final thoughts
Understanding these new names and using Luminate’s™ built-in tools will streamline your reporting processes and help you make the most of Walmart’s data. As Luminate™ continues to evolve, learn the key differences and know how to access support resources. That will make your work easier and more accurate — and make you an even better Walmart supplier.

*Walmart is changing the name of its data system from Luminate™ to Scintilla.

Contact us today to learn more about how 8th & Walton can help you build your business with Walmart.

Get your free consultation today and take your Walmart strategy to the next level!

The post Luminate™ Column Names: 6 Key DSS Renames appeared first on 8th & Walton.

play-circle
-1 MIN