Walmart Order and Demand Forecasting

Understanding Walmart Forecasts:

Forecasts harness past data, seasonality, promotional undertakings, and festive occasions to anticipate future business trends. For Walmart and Sam’s Club, this predictive modeling is facilitated through the Global Replenishment Solutions System (GRS). This system archives sales data for two years, forming the foundation for constructing forecasts.

Why Forecasts Matter to Vendors:

Forecasts play an instrumental role for vendors engaged with Walmart/Sam’s Club,. They act as navigational tools, guiding vendors on production quantities, timings, and frequencies. By ensuring products are timely and adequately stocked, forecasts optimize costs and elevate sales potential. Essentially, they can be the determinants of product availability. Elements like labor, raw material procurement, manufacturing, and transportation all stand to be gained from precise forecasting.

For Walmart and Sam’s Club, a well-calibrated forecast ensures synchronization between the vendor and their teams, cementing the objective of achieving a 100% timely and complete shelf stocking.

Pivotal Forecasting Times with Walmart and Sam’s Club Include:

• Introduction of a new product.
• Modular expansions or updates.
• Upcoming promotions, highlighted products, or holiday periods.
• Assortment item selection.
• Item deletions to cease orderings.
• Routine weekly orders.

Key Insights & Guidelines:

Within Walmart and Sam’s Club frameworks, the ‘Supply Plan’ denotes anticipated orders from suppliers, while the ‘Demand Forecast’ represents expected sales of specific items. It’s crucial for vendors to understand that these forecasts are suggestive and not definitive. They shouldn’t perceive them as assurances regarding sales or orders. Hence, any decisions regarding equipment, raw materials, or staff recruitment based on these predictions should not attribute any accountability to Walmart or Sam’s Club.

How Does OCM Amplify Your Walmart Forecasting Strategy?

OCM is proficient in extracting these forecasts during essential phases and on an ongoing basis. We employ sophisticated data interpretation tools like pivot tables and charts to transform this data into an accessible, vendor-friendly format. Furthermore, we liaise with the Walmart/Sam’s Club merchant ensemble, ensuring that vendors are prepared for product introductions and are attuned to any changes in seasonal trends or promotional events.