Walmart 'on the Right Track' Toward Inventory Improvement: EVP

Increased demand for products “is nothing new for this time of year,” blogged Joe Metzger, Walmart U.S. executive vice president-supply chain operations, Friday, addressing widely reported supply chain issues and uncertainty in the marketplace. “With so many news stories about port delays, increased consumer demand and holiday season forecasting, it’s natural to wonder whether items will make it to store shelves and how this might affect holiday preparations,” Metzger said. Walmart is “doing even more” this year to be sure product orders arrive when customers need them. It has worked with suppliers to source merchandise earlier than usual and move products inside its supply chain network quickly, Metzger said, including chartering ships and diverting shipments through less congested ports, and it has rerouted inland shipments, using less conventional transportation methods to avoid rail delays. The retailer hired more than 3,000 drivers “with more in the pipeline," added 20,000 permanent supply chain employees and hired 150,000 employees to fill online orders, he said. Walmart also added storage capacity in the fulfillment and distribution network by bringing new facilities online, he said, while automating existing facilities and shipping products straight from stores. “While we’d like to see inventory levels continue to improve, we’re on the right track,” Metzger said.