Including 0w20 Platinum?
I was at Wallmart last night…I stopped by the oil isle…they had 0w-20 from Pensoil, Quaker-State, Mobil-1, Castrol…and all other brands and weights. It could be just your area.
My Local Only Wal-Mart Has A Totally Screwed Up Inventory Of Everything From Groceries To Tires And Everything In Between.
They show a sufficient quantity of merchandise in stock, but they don’t have it (or can’t find it). This problem has been ongoing through several manager changes.
They tell me that they can’t order merchandise, that it is replenished automatically, based on inventory, but when that’s out o whack…
On a recent stop to pick up 10 grocery items that I buy all the time, they stocked 7 of them, 3 had empty shelf space. I talked to complained to management about this several times.
I tried buying tires and the inventory showed them in stock, but they didn’t have them (or couldn’t find them). They kept telling me the truck comes in on Monday, so check back. After many weeks, I drove for 1-1/2 hours to the next Wal-Mart that showed 22 on hand and they had them all.
I have seen this issue with the jugs of Mobil-1 EP 5w30 that I buy there, many times, empty shelf for long periods.
Why do I shop there? There’s not many choices where I live. Folks here deal with these issues all the time.
CSA
I bet the major advertising push Pennzoil is making on ESPN radio is resulting in some local shortages.
@“common sense answer”, have you complained to corporate Walmart? Since the local management doesn’t seem to car, you might have to go up the food chain to get a positive result. Sometimes that works.
As for tires, you could order them on line. I started using Tire Rack and my usual repair shop for mounting. They happen to be approved by Tire Rack. They will send the tires to you or your installation shop. I live in the Big City, and found that the selection is much better on line, and I don’t have to worry about the local tire up sells if I use my usual repair shop.
This isn’t just Walmart, none of the stores in my area had this oil when I needed to do my oil change, none. Because my wife and I walk around he inside perimeter of Walmart for exercise when the weather is bad, I have been watching their stock. If I have a need to go to any of the parts stores, I will check theirs just out of curiosity.
We are fixen to get iced and snowed in so I wont be looking for a couple of days.
On-Line tire buying is fine if you live in a state that has a sales tax. Otherwise it’s cost prohibitive. I’ve looked at tirerack and 1010tire from time to time…When adding shipping costs…they become very expensive.
I am in CA with a close to 10% sales tax and even then buying tires online has not made sense so far. When I add shipping, installation (which would not be discounted now) and then the headache of carrying four tires around, makes it not worth my while.
Mike?? you live in a state with no sales tax. Online purchases are always cheaper in NH, compared to , say, MA.
Prices are at least comparable and I can get the tires I want rather than choosing from the relatively limited selection at the local stores.
Including 0w20 Platinum?
I only checked their 10w-30 stock.
We have the same Walmart inventory issues. Empty shelves. I think their automatic replenishment system is a joke. On the other hand they have to get it from the back room to the shelve with their highly paid stockers. Then one might ask if this inventory shrinkage is due to theft.
Inventory control systems are pretty much standard software customized for the retailer, and they’ve been very sophisticated for a very long time. But it can’t compensate for poor store management (stuff not getting no the shelves)… or for dockworker strikes. I remember one last summer that left a lot of missing selections at the grocery stores where I shop.
And I’m unaware of any business that doesn’t suffer occasional supplier problems. Or even weather related problems… as I write this I have the news on in the background, and they’re showing a lot of empty shelves and supply chain disruptions due to the massive storm moving across the southeastern part of the country.
Walmart? Ok, I’ll issue my own consumer complaints and comments too … lol … I’ve only shopped there for a year or two, never had one nearby before that. Walmart Foods only for me. About the only inventory problem I’ve noticed was potato chips. For some reason they have a difficult time keeping the potato chips in stock. One problem they seem to have is a huge employee turnover rate. Given that, there’s no wonder they have some problems keeping things in the store organized.
Inventory control systems are pretty much standard software customized for the retailer, and they've been very sophisticated for a very long time.
The Wallmart warehouse inventory system is very very sophisticated state of the art. PBS did a show on automated warehouse systems…and did a good segment on WallMart. On average items shipped to the WallMart warehouse from the manufacturer is put in the truck to be shipped to the stores within 45 minutes. Can’t get much more efficient then that.
The stores are a different story. The closets to me is a complete joke. I HATE shopping there. I only go there when absolutely necessary.
There may be a regional supply problem at the distribution center instead of the store. We have seen fewer selections available at Wal Mart and the Marketplace stores lately. Its as if they have either reduced the number of selections or they can’t get them from the distribution center. We have 3 Wal Marts and a Marketplace in close proximity and they don’t vary all that much in selection. If one store has it, usually the others do, too.
Given that Wal Mart is pretty much the best logistics company on the planet, this is perplexing.
About the only inventory problem I've noticed was potato chips. For some reason they have a difficult time keeping the potato chips in stock.
George,
Having worked in grocery before. The chips are stocked by the individual suppliers (Lays, Utz, Snyders, etc.) not by Walmart. If those are frequently empty Walmart needs to get on the suppliers. Which is probably not likely to happen.
Oh, Walmart has huge leverage with its suppliers, when Walmart says jump, they say how high!
That’s true, pvt. The suppliers are notified by the Walmart software after approval by the store manager when min inventory level is reached. The Walmart software monitors each item’s level as products are scanned at the register. One of the functions of the store manager is to monitor chronic min inventory products. From there, and by looking at sales figures and counter space, a decision can be made whether to increase the total inventory, increase the min inventory level, discontinue a given product in favor of an optional supplier, or whatever’s appropriate.
Oh, Walmart has huge leverage with its suppliers, when Walmart says jump, they say how high!
Wallmart has actually destroyed some manufacturing in this country. Rubbermaid is one of them. Wallmart kept demanding lower and lower prices. Rubbermaid made cuts and trimmed waste to the point there wasn’t much left. Wallmart told them either move manufacturing to lower manufacturing costs countries in Asia or Latin America. They complied…closing many plants in the US and moving jobs overseas. When Wallmart buys 60% of your product…you do exactly what they say…of you’ll find yourself out of business. That’s one reason why many companies won’t deal with them…even though it could mean drastic increases in sales.