Is this the solution? I do not now. I know what I have seen over time in various stores, including Wal-Mart, in several towns and states. I offer this in someone's defense: do you know how much time the Wal-Mart store managers spend issuing badges to vendor reps/ICs like us? In the same spot in the store, they also must scan incoming booze, pastries, and other vendor items. Baler, anyone? Nearby, employees are fetching their current loads from the latest truck delivery if they are not releasing their loads of garbage, recyclables, or what-have-you that can leave the store only after a manager has unlocked doors and other spaces. Later, when some vendors are ready to leave the location, they may return a badge to a manager (although some locations have a collection box for this) or obtain a manager's signature. So now, a busy manager must be summoned to sign a form. Meanwhile, do you know how many management activities are piling up until a manager is free to attend to each undone task? It does inconvenience Wal-Mart staffers to deal with the seemingly endless stream of vendors who deliver product, perform demos, and service assorted items in the stores.

For security, inventory, and general oversight purposes, it is good for people like us to follow a procedure to check in and check out of the stores. This process can be streamlined.

My guess is that dealing with fewer companies and fewer vendor/IC processes will free Wal-Mart managers for other work. I hope for similar and streamlined activities among the few remaining vendor companies that supply people like us to the stores. Streamlining will benefit all: management, employees, vendors, and IC's. In our jobs, we might spend less time checking in and checking out of each location. Then, we need to be on-site only long enough to complete our tasks and we can get in and out of the locations quickly. Perhaps this efficiency will free up enough time for us to complete more jobs each day and earn a little more money. At the very least, it will give us more time for something...

I've always just gotten my badge at the customer service desk when signing into the vendor log and dropped it off on the way out. No signature required, I check in and out on the app on my phone for my company, so don't really know how any of that could be an inconvenience to them. I've even called ahead to tell them I was coming in to pack out the Mars candy and they just didn't care. I guess it just varies from region to region, but in my region they have a DGAS attitude.

If companies like Snap Audits, Match Converge and others would stop making us get a manager's signature when we have 5 other types of proof that would help tremendously.

When I go to the car wash now, I pay the annual fee, a machine scans the tag on my car and the pole lifts so I can drive in. Maybe Walmart should scan us!!!!! But what would my upc number be?

@spicy1 wrote:

.... Maybe Walmart should scan us!!!!! But what would my upc number be?

0 111spicy1111 1

?

Well Shop-et-al, one problem with Walmart is that they never hire enough regular Associates so that the Dept Mgrs can do their jobs in the back room or wherever they are supposed to be at the time! They have to do the work of two or three people! I'm not saying that to justify anything at Walmart, just an observation I saw in my 7 years in 7 Walmarts merchandising. When I needed a signature, if I couldn't find the Dept mgr, I always got the front end manager to sign off, and explained in the paperwork...never had a problem with that. Also, my Walmarts SOMETIMES had the vendor ID's up front at the CS desk, and SOMETIMES NEVER had them....it was hit or miss all the time with those.

I do think security is LAX in many Walmarts, at least it was when I was merchandising in them. I recall one time having to make some adjustments to the TV stands. No one was around to help me....I mean NO ONE. So I found a ladder, stepped on top of the long display stand, made my adjustments and got down. NO ONE stopped by to ask me what I was doing up there, which I thought was kind of eerie!! I remember going home and telling my hubby about it, and telling him I felt it was not good that no one stopped to ask me what I was doing. I mean, it wasn't like you couldn't see me up on that display table! Everyone there just runs around like they're so busy. I don't see how reducing the number of vendors to do more jobs is going to help, because the vendors are going to be overwhelmed! And I don't believe this is going to free Walmart managers to do their own work.....I think it's going to make it worse. I have lots & lots of stories about my time in Walmart stores. For now, this is just my 2 cents!

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2017 06:00PM by guysmom.

It is interesting that we have different experiences in the stores. I have not experienced the situations of too few associates or existing associates just walking around. I have seen associates in motion, performing tasks, en route to somewhere, etc.

Keep in mind that unless the stores build new buildings or remodel (to provide larger employee work spaces), there will always be the potential issue of occasional crowding in certain spots. It would be good to reduce our time at customer service, in back rooms, etc.

I still hope for streamlining. And, I remember that no one has time to edit and collate a whole bunch of systems because everyone is always so busy. But hope springeth eternal, and all that... and maybe there is one point person in Bentonville who can carve out a few minutes and work with the few remaining companies to simplify our entrances and exits.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2017 06:20PM by Shop-et-al.

They just did!!!!!: "Carve out a few minutes and work with the few remaining companies to simplify our entrances and exits"

In the WM stores that I am in the Associates are too busy moving feature displays from one place to another to even have time to attend to items on the shelve. Customers dont know where to find things due to the constant movements. And evrything on the shelf is removed to make certain that the feature display remains full. What ever happened to keeping the home location full?

@guysmom wrote:

So, as a Premium Rep, if I covered a display set up of Mattel toys in Walmart, and also in Toys R Us for Premium, and say, Cosmetics in Walmart, and the same Cosmetics in CVS, if I were still working for Premium, does this mean that Premium can no longer send those same Reps to these other stores??? That would be something, as it would force Premium to hire additional Reps, and may cause the Reps who worked in multiple stores to have decreased hours!

I'm hearing that preferred vendors expect to pick up more hours from the work the non-preferred vendors were doing. This will allow them to create a dedicated Walmart team.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2017 12:47AM by cm.

Much of the work that non-preferred vendors were doing will disappear into thin air. All of those top 5 vendors already have dedicated Walmart teams; all except for Acosta are precarious because they don't have the tablet that they are tethered to. I expect Premier to continue to hire non-conforming Associates and to be thrown out on their arses! BTW, Snap Audits was 8th on the bid list; so they aren't doing that bad, huh! The top 5 vendor companies' employees may try to sneak work in for the other merchandising companies.

Thank you Wild Bill for starting this thread and Spicy for posting the link. The company I work for does merchandising in Wal Mart and is not on the preferred vendor list. I sent the information to my supervisor to see if he can get any more information. Apparently..the supplier's contract with Wal Mart specifies my company does the merchandising of their product. My supervisor told me Wal Mart was not happy with that part of the contract but the supplier would not budge regarding which company merchandises their product.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2017 03:03AM by starrynight.

Here's hoping your company can get some sort of exemption. I worked for HTH pool chemical company, Arch Chemicals. They supply Walmart as well as Ace and others. I absolutely LOVED that job, even servicing some of the jacka$$ses that are Dept. Mgrs at Walmart. The Regional Manager, from Texas, came over to train me on the packing up of products at the end of the season; they send almost all product back to their warehouse for the winter. I had been doing the Phillips 66 gas station shops and I had 4 of the 5 gallon gas cans in my car; not full mind you, just ready for the next day's (Saturday's) work. He almost had a heart attack and was giving me the run down about safety. Mind you, I'm a grown-arse woman and I don't need any man's advice and accompanying scolding, no thank you. If I did, I would still be married. He didn't hire me for the next season. I have since seen the Rep they hired. I hope they LOOSE the ability to send a Rep into Walmart!!!!!!!

And I pray everyday that MATCH CONVERGE, AKA CONVERGENCE MARKETING looses the ability to send to scheming, thieving little creaps they send for the resets!!!!!!! I hope CROSSMARK takes those resets from them. Buahahahahhaa, ok, no more late night coffee for me!

Actually CROSSMARK is not the best. There is no best. CROSSMARK is known for issues.

@spicy1 wrote:

And I pray everyday that MATCH CONVERGE, AKA CONVERGENCE MARKETING looses the ability to send to scheming, thieving little creaps they send for the resets!!!!!!! I hope CROSSMARK takes those resets from them. Buahahahahhaa, ok, no more late night coffee for me!

Anyone have the list of merch companies that were selected?

I know that AG will continue to merchandize their own product, no changes, because we own the product until it is sold. I think that is true with a number of items.

I always feel bad for receiving having to track us while we are in the store. Provide badges and initial when we have left the store. Then in the evenings you have to sign in up front with customer service where no one even pays attention to what you write down or if you even sign out. Our book at CS is a mess not even any empty pages, people just write wherever. You could never figure out who is in the store or where they are at any given time. Which I think is the goal.

In any Walmart I have been in there is not enough staff to do all the department work that is expected. I often merch Walmart product so my department looks good. They have maybe 5-10 percent of our space but their own aisles are disaster areas. No displays just stacks of mismatched product.

I can rarely find a manager to sign my worksheet. It's like 1 in 5 visits.

I think that they will still have just as many people running around the store a year from now. Forcing vendors to consolidate to 5 merchandisers just won't work in my opinion. But let's wait and see. I think vendors will sneak people in that are not accounted for anymore. Super spies. Why not let vendor merch or hire out if you don't have the manpower budget to do it yourselves? except they say that your team can only work in Walmarts, no other retailers.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2017 09:24PM by LeslieKay111.

The companies winning approval to continue working in Wal-Mart stores are: Anderson Merchandisers, Crossmark, Acosta, Premium and SAS Retail Services. *found my answer. sorry.

The new protocol begins Sept. 1 and the retailer said other third party merchandisers have until Jan.1, 2018 to fully transition out of the business. Beginning Feb. 1, Bratspies said only the preferred service providers will be authorized and approved to perform merchandising services in Wal-Mart’s stores on behalf of the retailer or its suppliers.

Bratspies was clear that suppliers are not required to participate in the new program, but if suppliers intend to use in-store merchandising services it must be one of the five companies approved by Wal-Mart. He said suppliers who use in-store merchandising must enter a master service agreement and adhere to statements of work that must come from one of the approved the providers.---so most companies can send their own merch teams still. They are just shifting the work.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Hmmm, that's weird. Wonder how that rumor started and wonder if there is any truth to it? I work with Advantage and we do a bit of work at WalMart. Wonder what's up?

Advantage Solutions will continue doing business with Wal-Mart by handling its in-store retailtainment services and product demos on behalf of Wal Mart’s marketing team

-so most companies can send their own merch teams still. They are just shifting the work.

Only the 5 can send merchandising personnel into the store. All others will be denied and trespassed.

@spicy1 wrote:

-so most companies can send their own merch teams still. They are just shifting the work.

Only the 5 can send merchandising personnel into the store. All others will be denied and trespassed.

Just to clarify. Vendors and suppliers who use third party merchandising companies must use the Preferred 5 companies to perform 3rd party work moving forward.

Vendors and Suppliers who employ their own staff of merchandisers can send them in. So Pepsi, Coke, Budweiser, Hallmark etc can send in their own employees.

This change only affects 3rd party merchandising companies, who are using dedicated teams, so I think it will be business as usual in Walmart with the big 5 picking up work from all the suppliers who used other merchandising companies.

It will definately help Walmart keep tabs of who is doing work in their stores.

Yes, Bill, that's correct.

As long as my local store's employees don't search me or kick me out, all will be well in my world. Sometimes, employees recognize me as a person who has worked on various projects in the store. Now, I will just do personal shopping there. I think. Is it legal for me to continue as a personal shopper there, now that I no longer work as an IC there? Should I shop somewhere else while people become accustomed to the new arrangement?

You are a personal shopper? It doesn't apply to this new Wal-Mart policy. You're allowed to do that.

@spicy1 wrote:

You are a personal shopper? It doesn't apply to this new Wal-Mart policy. You're allowed to do that.

Good. I was just thinking of a potential fallout from the change, and I was hoping that there would not be a 'least wanted' list or something with our names and pics that employees would use to identify persons known to be associated with vendors that are no longer used by Wal-Mart. I just wanted to be sure that we are not marked just because we are not affiliated with the current accepted vendors and are left alone to do our personal business when we are in Wal-Mart stores. This is good for me because Wal-Mart is one of only three major grocery stores in this little town. The others are fine and specialty and not for regular groceries. I can still afford my groceries.

Thanks, spicy1!

Does anyone know other companies that were left off of the preferred vendor list? (other than Advantage, CAST, RMS, and SPAR)

Apollo, LEGO, Match Converge............

Wow so there are going to be many firms displaced by this announcement. That is really too sad.

I wonder how how much revenue the preferred providers will end up getting as a result....

Thanks for the reply!!

how much revenue- how much they have to pay

No I mean how much revenue will have to shift from the current merchandisers no longer allowed in Walmart to the preferred merchandisers as a result of several the current ones no longer being having to access Walmart. It must be a big number...