We have 3 new WalMart stores in my area. One is a replacement store for smaller store that was closed. (not much smaller)
2 others are “community” stores. Like convenience store WalMarts.
The larger store (replacement) has been open for 6 months and still have consistent holes in inventory. They are choking the purchasing side. I suspect vendors that “gave” them the inventory are probably getting more of the cash flow in orders. All 3 stores are paper thin on inventory. All 3 are slow to replenish. Not the normal pattern for them.
Supports the authors premise that retail business is pretty rotten.
My wife has been with Walmart for over 15 years now. Their issue is not getting merchandise. It is instead getting it on the shelves. They have had to cut their floor and backroom associates so much to show a profit that they do not have enough people to keep the shelves filled. The backrooms are loaded and just about every Walmart has trailers out back filled with merchandise. More merchandise than they can work.
Go there after 2200 hrs, The isles are packed with pallets of goods.
We have three Super Wal-Mart stores here in my town, one only a couple of miles from my house. Plus another on in KY just a little of 6 miles from my house. Then they are building 3 or 4 neighborhood Wal-Mart grocery stores here also, and one is not far from Kroger
Vendors may be standing up to Wal-Mart payables policy. Better to sell through Amazon, you don’t wait 120 days for your money.