How Walmart Makes Space Management Work for Customers

    by | May 2, 2022 | Merchandising, Operations

    In Store SIgns
    In Store SIgns
    Photograph by Miller Zell – Red circles and numbers added for emphasis.

    Here is the perfect image to explain how Walmart makes Space Management work for customers.

    As explained here, Miller Zell helped the Swipe Up program become a part of its store of the future. Undoubtedly, its app makes stores easier to navigate. Where does that data come from? It is all powered by the floor plans and the planograms which help a customer find the section for every item in the app. Slick right?

    Here is what it takes to do it well:

    1. An integrated floor planning and planogram database that connects items on planograms to locations in stores. (Which is easy if you have Blue Yonder’s CKB or most other integrated floor planning and planogramming system.)
    2. Strong planogram compliance. Unfailing execution –AND– a way for stores to correct planograms when they had to deviate from the plan.
    3. Store-specific floorplans. Notice I did not say “Store-specific planograms.” If your planogram compliance is high enough and your assortments are naturally shared across clusters of stores, you do not need store-specific planograms.
    4. Digital integration with your app. An API delivering real time data to the app.

    Undeniably, careful integration, sequence and timing is required. But the point is, as retailers labor to integrate digital into an omnichannel experience.To that end, here is the perfect way to leverage established systems and data to make a difference for customers. It is how Walmart makes space management work for customers.

    Do you know of other retailers who are using their Space data in an innovative way? We’d love to showcase other retailers. Let us know.