Following the retail supplier community
More than 20 years after the death of Sam Walton, nearly 1,300 suppliers have set up offices within a 27-mile radius of Wal-Mart’s home office in Bentonville.
The supplier community provides roughly 5,800 high-income jobs and brings further socio-economic development and cultural diversity to the region.
Having the supplier offices in Northwest Arkansas is one of the catalysts that buoys income levels and home prices higher than in surrounding counties. This sector also creates a critical mass of top talent from a vast array of industries related to products, services and supply-chain logistics. Not only does this sector support Wal-Mart, but many of the suppliers in Northwest Arkansas also do business with other large national and regional retail companies.
Talk Business & Politics, through the sponsorship of Propak, intends to enhance its coverage of this important economic sector. (Please submit your story tips, ideas and feedback here)
by - July 2, 2018 2:34 pm
The digital currency system Bitcoin is just one application of blockchain technology. And while it garners much attention, future retail applications are almost certain, according to Marshall Cohen, chief retail…
by - June 21, 2018 1:41 pm
Wine consumption is on the rise, with U.S. sales topping $62.7 billion last year. Walmart wants a part of that market and has spent the past year working to curate…
by - June 11, 2018 9:27 am
Last year, roughly 31% of U.S. consumers were likely to purchase groceries online. Overall, U.S. grocery stores rang up $641.04 billion in sales last year, with roughly $14.2 billion originating…
by - June 7, 2018 2:48 pm
When executive recruiter Cameron Smith first “hung out his shingle” in Northwest Arkansas in 1994, he said 48 Walmart supplier companies had offices in the area. Many of those teams…
by - May 21, 2018 2:30 pm
Retail-ready packaging or shelf-ready packaging is the standard at Walmart as the retail giant looks to simplify merchandising displays while also accelerating product sell-through without adding to the labor. Walmart…
by - May 9, 2018 12:39 pm
Consumers are driving radical changes in shopping behaviors, leaving brand manufacturers and retailers scratching their heads. There is no crystal ball or algorithm that truly knows when and why each…
by - May 2, 2018 5:39 pm
Competition will be stiff again this year as Walmart supplier companies and other organizations take a day off work on May 4 to take part in the fourth annual Corporate…
by - April 25, 2018 6:28 pm
Voice commerce is seen as the third wave in a retail evolution that began with e-commerce more than two decades ago, and the second wave being the growth of mobile…
by - April 24, 2018 12:45 pm
Blockchain technology is now much like the internet was in its early years. Its impact is hard to understand and predict. It’s like the Wild West, with few laws and…
by - April 11, 2018 1:23 pm
At about 1,300 in number, Walmart supplier companies have a strong presence in Northwest Arkansas. They are here to make sure the retailer has what it needs, but their involvement…
by - April 10, 2018 3:21 pm
Walmart Chief Merchandising Officer Steve Bratspies sent a memo to suppliers on Monday (April 9) detailing changes with “On-Time-In-Full” (OTIF) delivery requirements. The changes are retroactive to March 31. “As…
by - April 5, 2018 4:20 pm
David Cheesewright, former chief executive officer for Walmart International, ended his full-time employment with Walmart on March 31 and transitioned to a part-time consultant role for Walmart Canada for the…
by - March 26, 2018 2:27 pm
Capacity shortage in the trucking sector threatens to squeeze margins for retail suppliers who face higher shipping rates and tighter delivery requirements. Several companies recently reporting earnings voiced concern about…
by - March 25, 2018 3:38 pm
New research suggests Amazon shoppers are a savvy group of consumers and most who pay more than $100 annually to be Prime members which they say gives them a reason…
by - March 21, 2018 10:36 am
Part of Walmart’s success over the years has been the vast array of products sold in its stores and online. The same could be said for Amazon with its 480…
by - March 15, 2018 12:24 pm
Content remains king in the retail world of omnichannel. That’s a message Walmart has preached for several years. Chicago-based ItemMaster heard the call and connected with the retail giant last…
by - March 13, 2018 4:04 pm
What kid, or grown-up for that matter, doesn’t enjoy candy? And what if it’s good for you? Alina Morse, the 12-year-old CEO of Michigan-based Zollipops, says her candy promotes oral…
by - March 3, 2018 2:07 pm
Sam’s Club suppliers received an email Saturday (March 2) outlining the retailer’s new partnership with Nielsen and cloud-based analytics firm 1010data to create a Member Analysis, Data Reporting & Insights…
by - February 22, 2018 7:13 pm
A top concern among retail suppliers is how to avoid the so-called race to the bottom with prices resulting from online retailer Amazon’s use of algorithmic pricing to undercut its…
by - February 15, 2018 8:12 pm
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers continue to tweak their portfolio of brands like poker players who let go of a few cards hoping to draw a better hand and stay…
