How Do I View My Walmart Instocks?

Hudson Bercier

By Hudson Bercier, Associate Product Manager

Last Updated January 2, 2025

12 min read

Learn about:

  • Instock metrics in Retail Link vs Luminate

  • How to pull your current instocks report

  • How to pull your historic instocks report

  • Using instocks to improve your supply chain 

Keeping track of store instock levels is one of the most important parts of managing a Walmart business. Forecasts and supply chain execution are major drivers for keeping stores in stock, but how do you actually determine your store instock levels?

This article will detail how to pull reports for Walmart in stock data in Luminate/Scintilla after going over a brief review of the previous method for pulling these reports in Retail Link.

(Note: In the Fall of 2024, Walmart announced that it was rebranding Luminate as Scintilla. For clarity's sake, both are used in this article.)

What Are Instocks? 

Let's begin by defining some of the terminologies we will be using throughout this article.

An instock item is essentially any product stored at a retailer or warehouse that is ready for customer purchase. It is not necessary to order instock inventory for a customer. They can either purchase it in person or online, and it is sitting at the location of purchase or in a warehouse waiting for shipment.

An out-of-stock (OOS) item is a product that is currently not available for customer purchase. OOS items can occur at physical stores, online stores, and warehouses. The product is either not there at the store or not in the warehouse. When an item is out-of-stock, stores need to replenish it, meaning to make it available for the customer to purchase.

Why Are Instock Metrics Important?

Instock metrics are vendors' most actionable inventory KPIs, especially Walmart's Replenishment Instock. They are key to not only maintaining sales, but also isolating and minimizing lost sales opportunities where there are inventory issues. This greatly benefits both the supplier and the retailer, incentivizing both to meet retailers' high instock expectations.

Before Luminate, suppliers would use the Decision Support System (DSS) app in Retail Link to pull data for Instock %, Replenishment Instock %, and, although less common, Customer Instock %. These are defined in Retail Link as:

  • Customer Instock %: This measurement focuses on valid stores, or the stores actively replenishing a specific item. It refers to the percentage of stores that have at least one unit on hand. This metric does not consider forecasted demand, so it is not an adequate metric to determine whether a store has sufficient inventory.

  • Replenishment Instock %: This metric is one of the most important metrics for vendors to monitor since it is based on valid stores. Daily forecasting demand is measured against on hand store inventory. If a store has less than the daily forecasted on hand, it will be considered out of stock.

For Walmart, the two primary instock metrics, Curr Instock % and Repl Instock %, both represent the percentage of valid store/item combinations that have units on hand to sell with one major difference. Replenishable instock pairs on hand units with the day's forecast. For Repl instock, if a store is projected to sell 10 units in a day but only has five on hand, it would not be considered instock because there won't be product on the shelf for those last five customers looking to purchase your product. In contrast, that same store would be considered in stock when looking at Curr instock, which only cares whether or not you start the day with the product on the shelf. For this reason, Repl instock has become the standard instock metric for any Walmart supplier looking to stay on top of their business.

  • Instock by Week: This is your historic instock percent (Repl Instock % for Walmart). When monitored at a single item or department level, the effect of instocks on in-store sales can be observed. In general, 95% Repl Instock is a good starting goal to maintain over time, though the Replenishment Manager may have a specific goal to meet.

This Retail Link data has almost exact equivalents in Luminate/Scintilla, which means pulling these reports is just as easy as it was in DSS.

Although some deeper details are unavailable to suppliers who do not have Charter (see "Replenishment Instock Numerator - Last Year", etc. below), most of the basic principles of measuring instocks are still available for all in Basic.

Related Reading: Replenishment 101: What is Replenishment?

Instock Terms in Luminate

The phrase 'instock' is commonly used to describe available products, and it is important to understand its correct usage along with alternatives like 'on hand' or 'on the shelf'.

Before diving into the different applications and report templates, here are some of the most important instock Luminate terms and their DSS Names:

(For a full list of Luminate business element names, go to Walmart Luminate > Resources > Data Dictionary)

Instock %

  • Definition: The percentage of stores with on-hand inventory. This is calculated by dividing the stores with on hands by the total valid stores count. 

  • DSS Name: curr_instock%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Both

Replenishment Instock % 

  • Definition: This is a metric showing "the percentage of the inventory that is getting replenished that becomes in stock inventory," measured as an average, not sum, of a selected period. 

  • DSS Name: avg_repl_instock%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Both

Store Replenishment Instock %

  • Definition: This is a metric for a stores' capacity for meeting demand. Stores are considered "Out of Stock" when the "On Hand Qty" is lower than the "Demand Forecast."

  • DSS Name: N/A

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Both

Replenishment Instock % EOP (End of Period)

  • Definition: This is a metric for the percentage of the inventory getting replenished that will eventually become instock inventory. EOP stands for "End of Period."

  • DSS Name: avg_repl_instock_%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Both

Replenishment Instock Numerator - Last Year

  • Definition: The aggregation of when this year's replenishable indicator equals 1.

  • DSS Name: repl_instock%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Charter only

Replenishment Instock Numerator - This Year

  • Definition: This is the aggregation of when this year's replenishable indicator equals 1. 

  • DSS Name: repl_instock%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Charter only

Replenishment Instock Denominator - Last Year

  • Definition: This metric is the indicator for store/item combinations eligible for replenishment instock reporting.  

  • DSS Name: repl_instock%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Charter only

Replenishment Instock Denominator - This Year

  • Definition: This metric is the indicator for store/item combinations eligible for replenishment instock reporting.  

  • DSS Name: repl_instock%

  • Available in Basic or Charter: Charter only

How to Pull Instocks in Luminate

Navigate to Walmart Luminate > Report Builder > Dataset > New Report > Store Sales & Inventory (SSI).

Screenshot of the Walmart Luminate Report Builder interface displaying various dataset options. The highlighted "Store Sales & Inventory" dataset allows suppliers to evaluate store-item level sales and inventory metrics from the last 104 weeks. Other dataset options include DC Metrics, Modular Plan Metrics, Store Demand Forecast, Order Forecast, Store Markup and Markdowns, eComm Sales, and eComm Inventory. The interface includes a search bar, dataset categories, and a section for custom dataset creation.

In Report Builder, there are a number of routes to view instocks. The most common, however, is the Store Sales & Inventory dataset, which will provide suppliers with a wide range of other sales and performance data.

Once you've selected the Store Sales & Inventory tab, the Data Preview will be visible on the right side of the screen.

Screenshot of the Walmart Luminate interface showing the "Data Preview" panel. The panel lists various time period options, including Walmart Calendar, Date, Week, Month, Quarter, and Year. Below, the "DC Alignment" section includes fields such as Alignment Effective Date, Alignment Expiration Date, Destination Company ID, Destination Company Name (Flow and Storage), Distribution Center Number, Storage Distribution Center Number, Warehouse Alignment Type Code, and Warehouse Alignment Type Description.

By clicking, "Use this dataset" at the bottom, you will be navigated to a page to select the reports Columns. From there, the data can be pared down depending on the time period and the subset of data desired for the report, as well as a reminder of the minimum requirements for a report:

  • 1 Dimension/1 Metric

  • Time Filter

Selecting Columns for the Report

Screenshot of the Walmart Luminate interface displaying the "Columns" selection panel in Report Builder. The panel includes a search bar at the top and various selectable data categories such as Time Period (with options for Date, Week, Month, Quarter, and Year), DC Alignment, Item Info and Item Hierarchy, Item Velocity, Markup/Markdown, Pack Size and Dimensions, Receipt, Store Customer Returns, Store Fulfillment (OPD), Store Info, Store Inventory, Store Returns, and Store Sales. Each category shows the number of available data fields.

After selecting a time frame, you can search for the columns that you would like to include in the report. The available "instock" reports in Luminate Basic are:

  • Instock % - Last Year

  • Instock % - This Year

  • Replen Instock % - Last Year

  • Replen Instock % - This Year

  • Replen Instock % - Last Year EOP

  • Replen Instock % - Last Year EOP

Some of the relevant reports that are only available in Charter are:

  • Replenishment Instock Denominator - Last Year

  • Replenishment Instock Denominator - This Year

  • Replenishment Instock Numerator - Last Year

  • Replenishment Instock Numerator - This Year

Other relevant columns that could help to narrow the report could be item, store, or DC indicators.

Selecting Filters for the Report

After the desired columns have been selected, picking a filter will set you up for running the report. This is the other dimension/metric required to run a report.

Screenshot of the Walmart Luminate Report Builder interface showing an untitled report under the "Store Sales & Inventory" dataset. The interface includes options for selecting Columns, applying Filters, and accessing Linked Items Activity. A notification at the bottom states: "Please note: In this dataset, when you apply a filter to a metric, it will automatically be added to your table. Removing a metric from the table also removes its filter.

The Walmart Calendar Week filter is a required dimension to run these reports, and it represents the time span that the report covers. Once you click "Filters," the options will pop up again on the right navigation.

Screenshot showing the different walmart weeks that can be selected

Customizing the Report

After clicking "Create," the screen below will pop up to allow for customization, formatting, and scheduling of the report.

Screenshot of the Walmart Luminate Report Builder interface on the "Create Report" screen. The interface includes fields for entering a Report Name and an optional Description. Users can select the Report Format as either .XLSX or .CSV. Below, there are options to Run Once or Run Continuously. A section labeled Dataset refresh schedule displays the last refresh time. Users can choose to schedule the report to run Today or Later, with an option to Notify via Email when complete, which is toggled on.

After this stage, click "Create" again, and wait until the report is finished. The "Notify via Email when complete" is automatically selected, and it is highly recommended given the variable timeframes that actually running a report can take. Most reports take around 30 minutes, but, depending on the level of detail/complexity in the report, they can take up to an hour to run. 

Running a Report for Store Replenishment Instock %

The Store Replenishment Instock % data is not in the Store Sales & Inventory dataset, but it can be pulled from the FY Vendor Scorecard and the Vendor Scorecard. For those, just run them like usual (see our article on How to Pull the Supplier Scorecard in Luminate), and go to the corresponding column in the report.

To view the Replenishment Instock Numerator and Denominators for This Year and Last Year, you have to have a Charter subscription.

Related Reading: DSS Aliases in Luminate

Using Instock Data to Improve Your Supply Chain 

Effective inventory management is essential for keeping Walmart stores stocked and minimizing lost sales. Poor inventory visibility can lead to phantom inventory, where stock appears in Walmart's system but isn't actually available on store shelves, causing inaccurate Replenishment Instock % calculations. Suppliers should regularly analyze store-level inventory data to identify stock discrepancies and work with Walmart's replenishment team to resolve them.

Here are a few tips to increase performance and improve your business:

  • Ship on time and in full to make sure your product is on the store shelf when needed.

  • Make sure that any expected seasonal activity or promotional event has been captured in the GRS forecast.

  • Review any forecast variance trends with Walmart to see if a forecast adjustment is merited.

  • Monitor store level inventory and activity and notify Walmart of suspected phantom inventory or no on shelf availability. Phantom inventory or inventory in the back of the store can inflate your instocks and hurt sales. Ask to write an order to restock the store shelf to facilitate store sales so that the rate of sale, which impacts the forecast, can be re-established.

SupplyPike's Software and SupplierWiki's Resources

Get Insight with SupplyPike's Software

Maintaining a healthy supply chain from start to finish is difficult in the retail world. SupplyPike's software helps retail suppliers in many major retailers.

SupplyPike tests the validity of deductions, collects your proof documentation, and takes disputing a claim down to a few (or zero) clicks. Our software also helps suppliers avoid these fines entirely by digging into root cause analysis and giving executive-level oversight into the supply chain.

Schedule a meeting with a team member to find out if SupplyPike is right for your retail business.

SupplierWiki's Resources: Continued Learning

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