I tried to add a reply to the old thread and it is closed. So does anyone have any recent news of the Walmart Preferred Vendor Program?

I have heard rumors that it has been reduced from Five vendors to now two?

That sounds low, if true, does anyone know who the companies are?

I also heard that they are contemplating letting the smaller third party companies back in if they have a letter of authorization. Any insights on that?

Anybody in the know have anything to share?

Thanks!

I know Crossmark is one, as I was working yesterday for a smaller vendor at a store I used to merch for Crossmark. The associate at customer service recognized me and asked why I didn't just sign in with Volt.

And any vendor can sign in like we always have, no letter required. The preferred vendors just have the ability to sign in on the new Volt app with their Walmart-issued badges.

Walmart U.S. is ending its business relationship with all other companies who provide in-store merchandising by the end of the year. (Last year.) No other merchandisers are allowed to merchandise in the store. That means any company, including app companies. Nothing has changed.

@JerseyGirlShopper wrote:

Walmart U.S. is ending its business relationship with all other companies who provide in-store merchandising by the end of the year. (Last year.) No other merchandisers are allowed to merchandise in the store. That means any company, including app companies. Nothing has changed.

I am not sure where you got that, Jersey, but I still merchandise in WM for other companies frequently, as do many others. Preferred means exactly that, preferred, not exclusive. It gives those companies the ability to skip the logbook, and access to sign into the backroom system so they can bin and pull their own stock without having to grab a stocker or a Zebra.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2018 05:02AM by stormraven73.

I know SAS, Acosta and Premium are still preferred. As far as Volt it doesn't allow you to bin and pull stock like Sparc did. I was told to pull what I need and the dept managers are suppose to scan their bins everyday or so to correct inventory.

The first two sentences were a direct quote from the story that ran. The rest is obvious and true. Ask the store manager next time you are in a store. That's why Snap Audits doesn't do work in Walmart for the vacuums, they are not allowed to.

This new system didn't say that those 5 companies are preferred, but other companies can do work there. That's why Advantage scrambled to unite with SAS, Daymon, because they weren't allowed into Walmart to work anymore, at all, what-so-ever. Not that they weren't allowed to use Volt, they weren't allowed to hire people and send them into Walmart to work anymore.

Volt works exactly like Sparc, only better. Volt has your photo, that is visible by Walmart Managers and the Security that works in the store, and you must sign in to the store with it. It's better because it now keeps track of your time in the store and your work done there and sends a report to your company and to the client.

With Volt, you can pull product and you can bin product as well, just like with Sparc. You absolutely can. Ask your manager for the training that every company must provide to their employees. With Volt Walmart training, they don't go in to how to pull and bin product, your company provides that training. Better yet, just click on the hamburger and it is intuitive enough if you've used Sparc.

JerseyGirlShopper my TM has said Volt will be updating soon so we will have the ability do picks, etc in the near future. Also, in the 8 Walmart stores I have all the managers have no knowledge of this. They have all told me to pull any stock I need and it will be corrected when they scan in the am. I will be bringing your information to my TM's attention.

Jersey, I am currently on my 20th or so long route of WM merch assignments this year, through 5 states, ALL for non-preferred vendors. Period. Not once have I had a manager at any of the 100+ stores I service refuse to let me or any of the other vendors -- from over two dozen companies -- sign in or work.

Again, I am not sure where you are getting this information, but it is contrary to what we learned at Crossmark during our Walmart-produced required training videos. As for Advantage, my understanding is that they were only kicked off of certain projects, which were then given to Daymon/SaSR. But like most of what's been said here and on the job, it's third hand. Rather than lose their dedicated projects they chose to try a merger. I don't know why WM made the switch, but I think the timing was coincidental. I could be wrong on that part, though. As for SNAP audits, I have heard several different stories, mostly having to do with their management, not WM's.

Bethmar, yes I should have been more clear. Volt has not yet (to my knowledge) been updated with binning ability for all companies, but as far as I know Jersey is correct in essence about how it will work. As I said, I left the WM team shortly after Volt was implemented, so I didn't get to use it that much. Couldn't take any more of Crossmark's pathetic pay and scheduling issues for that team, so I am waiting for another travelling position to open up wit SaSR, and filling the time with third-party work & MSing.

I had a job this week at walmart and the company isn't a preferred vendor. We didn't have to have a letter of authorization. We were told just to sign in on the vendor book. I didn't have any problems and I did 15 stores.

Crossmark can't be any worse then SAS Retail with the Continuity Team that mainly came from Advantage. The transition was smooth with Advantage basically handling the transition. SAS Retail now feel more confident and taking over. Store time is cut in half and only want the minimum possible done for the clients. Mileage cut to .15 per mile, while they are paying other teams .51 per mile. I see them losing major clients.

I do work for Survey.com and I am always allowed in Walmart to do merchandising. I do have to sign in and get a badge but I am allowed to complete the work without any problems.

How do you sign u for Walmart merchandising?

@Teekay you sign up to the individual merchandising compaanies. Walmart does not have an in house program. Several have been mentioned already, but many merch companies do at least some work in Walmart. Check this and previous threads for a list of the "preferred vendors" but many 3rd party companies like Survey.com also do work there.

ETA Specifically, WM does not have a separate, merchandising-only department...the regular employees do resets and such.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2018 12:32PM by stormraven73.