Store Items Not on File
Every item sold in stores is recognized by the Point-of-Sale (POS) system through a unique identifier – such as a UPC/GTIN scanned from the product packaging or a Price Look Up (PLU) selected from a lookup menu. This information is vital for various store operations, including (but not limited to) receiving and pricing items, managing inventory, processing reimbursements and recalls, and handling customer returns. Errors or inaccuracies in these identifiers, or failure to include them in the Walmart catalog, can cause significant operational disruptions. These may take the form of missed sales opportunities, increased store labor costs, compliance issues, and asset loss or shrinkage.
70-Type Items
These Store Local Items are created when merchandise that is not currently in Walmart’s catalog is shipped to a store. To scan and sell the merchandise, a store associate manually adds the GTIN to the store’s system. These store items are often called "70 types" because they are systematically assigned numbers formatted as "70xxxxx".
The complete elimination of Store Local Items will occur by business unit (BU) over the coming months. During each phase, the ability for store associates to create 70-type items will be turned off and stores have two weeks to work through the existing items and take appropriate next steps. On the last day, all remaining 70-type items will be systematically deleted for the stores.
What actions are needed by suppliers or merchants?
Merchants are working with leadership on best practices and referring to recommendations for specific categories with the highest counts of 70-type items:
- Pharmacy/OTC
- Balloons
- Produce
- Store Supplies