Overview, Scope, and Benefits of the RFID Program
Here are more details about the RFID program at Walmart, what it means for your business, and links to additional RFID-related articles.
RFID at Walmart
In 2020, Walmart started implementing RFID technology in stores for Apparel. Since then, we have seen dramatic results with improved on-hand accuracy, leading to increased online order fulfillment, sell through and customer satisfaction. We expanded RFID to additional departments in 2022 and love the results and simplification that the technology offers our businesses.
Watch this video from Julie Barber, Executive Vice President of General Merchandise, to hear more about RFID at Walmart.
Scope
With the success of this initiative, we are now expanding RFID implementation for first party (1P) items that pass through our Fulfillment Centers, Distribution Centers, or Stores. Identified suppliers must include RFID tags on all product tags/packaging supplied to all Walmart U.S. Stores – including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and 1P .com Merchandise – for all national, proprietary, supplier, and private brands.
Specifically, this expansion includes these Walmart departments:
D3 - Stationery | D12 - Paint |
D5 - Media & Gaming | D16 - Lawn & Garden |
D6 - Cameras & Supplies | D19 - Crafts (excluding Bolt Fabric) |
D10 - Automotive | D21 - Books |
D11 - Hardware |
The following departments are already in scope and should currently be arriving in store with RFID tags:
D7 - Toys | D22 - Bedding |
D9 - Sporting Goods | D23 to D36 - Apparel |
D10 - Automotive (Batteries and Tires) | D71 - Furniture & Luggage |
D14 - Kitchen and Dining | D72 - Electronics |
D17 - Home Décor | D74 - Closet & Organization |
D20 - Bath & Shower | D87 - Wireless |
We understand that implementing RFID will cause changes to your process, and we will provide the details and resources to help you through these changes. Walmart is investing in the hardware, software, and training for our associates. We're also partnering with the Auburn University team to identify and establish guidelines and review samples of your RFID tags, item by item.
When?
If you are an identified supplier who needs to implement RFID, we have emailed you an onboarding communication. Included in that communication was a hard date when all items must arrive in stores with RFID tags.
We have also created a self-paced training course in Supplier Academy that will give you the basic knowledge to prepare your team and give you the opportunity to learn more about RFID implementation, guidelines, technical requirements, and training resources. If you run into issues accessing the course, make sure that your browser settings allow pop-ups.
Additional Articles
- RFID Basics (including common terminology)
- How to Implement RFID (tag specs and locations)
- RFID Tag Validation
- RFID Helpful Files and Resources (including the RFID Playbooks for General Merchandise and Apparel)
- RFID Support