Logging into Retail Link for the first time (and sometimes, even for the hundredth time) can feel like stepping into a massive data superstore—every aisle lined with colorful dashboards, reports, and portals promising new insights. The challenge is knowing where to begin.
This resource establishes the foundation for navigating Retail Link efficiently, highlighting which apps deliver the most value, how to curate your home page, and where to find fast and reliable learning resources.
Understanding Retail Link
Retail Link serves as Walmart’s data-sharing platform for suppliers—a direct window into the retailer’s operational pulse. It consolidates sales performance, supply-chain data, and category trends into one ecosystem, providing a single source of truth for supplier visibility.
Each app within Retail link performs a specific function, from monitoring deliveries to tracking ASNs. When properly utilized, these tools streamline workflows, enhance compliance, and strengthen supplier-retailer collaboration.
The Strategic Value of Retail Link
Retail Link is more than just a reporting system. It functions as a competitive advantage for suppliers that understand how to navigate, interpret, and ultimately act on its data.
Make data driven decisions
Through near real-time insights, Retail Link enables visibility into daily sales, inventory positions, and category trends. Data-based decision-making supports stronger forecasting and faster responses to demand shifts.
Monitor performance in real time
Each app contributes to performance transparency, allowing suppliers to track shipment timeliness, delivery accuracy, and replenishment health before potential issues arise.
Plan strategically
Retail Link supports holistic planning across logistics, sales, and compliance. Access to multiple viewpoints enables a more proactive approach to category and supply chain management.
Personalizing the Retail Link Home Page
The Retail Link homepage can be tailored to fit specific business needs. A customized dashboard keeps critical data in view while minimizing clutter.
Star Key Apps: In the top right-hand corner of each app is an outline of a star. Clicking this star will add the app to your dashboard for easy access.
Remove clutter: Deselecting the star removes apps or reports that are not frequently used.
Focus on Essentials: Maintaining a dashboard curated with 6-10 key apps provides clarity and better decision making.
An organized homepage ensures a clean workspace and more efficient workflow. Below is a quick glossary of some of the most common and important apps for suppliers to consider.
Glossary of Apps in Retail Link
Each Retail Link app fulfills a distinct operational purpose. While many of these functions can also be completed in Supplier One, we will first look at the most widely used and essential apps for supplier success.
Appointment Scheduler | Create and manage inbound freight deliveries to Walmart Distribution Centers (DC). | |
Supplier Center | Supplier Account Management provides information like access and credentials. | |
| SQEP (Supplier Quality Excellence Program) | Dashboard to track and monitor performance as it pertains to shipping products. |
| APDP (Accounts Payable Dispute Portal) | View invoices and payments; Dispute deductions. |
| APIS (Accounts Payable Inquiry System) | View and pull payments, invoices, checks, and claims information. |
| PO Tracking | Tracks purchase orders from creation to fulfillment. |
| OTIF (On Time In Full) | Provides visibility to Walmart and suppliers for On Time In Full Performance metrics. |
| Transportation Supply Chain Portal 2.0 | Supplier and Carrier information dashboard. |
| OMS (Order Management System) | Create, change, and cancel orders. |
| Item 360 | Item Setup (this app will be phased out and replaced with SupplierOne). |
| EDI B2B | Review electronic exchanges between business partners, including collaboration and data sharing. |
| Modular Planning | Includes Layout Center Supplier Scheduler, Max Shelf Multiplier View Options, MBM Exceptions for Acquisition Stores, Modular Department Maintenance, Modular Image Acquisition, Product Image status. |
| Supplier One | Appears as an app within Retail Link but is a platform in and of itself where suppliers can perform several critical tasks. |
| SWAS (Store Within a Store) | Contains reports for unusual activity within multiple levels of product hierarchy. |
| FAS (Factory Audit System) | Manage the entire life cycle of facility compliance. |
| CPV (Critical Path Visibility) | Used by suppliers to enter all known work in progress data for the POs that are currently open to ship. |
| Accounting Reporting | Used to pull accounting reports such as paid details, unpaid details, invoicing, and discount reports. |
| Global Supply Chain Visibility | Used to track imported products through the supply chain, from the origin facility through the DCs. |
| Request Status | View the status of submitted decision support requests. Several types of reports can be built using this app such as supplier scorecards, supply chain, and merchandising reports. |
| ASN (Advanced Shipment Notice) Dashboard | ASN is sent ahead of the truck which provides details on the timing, contents, and quantity of PO deliveries to DC’s. |
| CPFR (Collaborative Planning Forecasting and Replenishment) | Allows suppliers to work with Walmart Buyers to build the best possible forecast for store demand. |
| ASPEN | Enables suppliers to create new and update existing Replenishment and Supply Chain settings |
| Supplier Facility Hub | Used by Suppliers for facility disclosure and management of facility certification requirements |
| Walmart Sustainability Portal | Used to report data towards various sustainability initiatives |
| Delivery Confirmation | Allows suppliers to view the Electronic Freight Bill (EFB) documents |
| DSD Accuracy Board | Receiving accuracy dashboard, part of shortage recovery program |
| Invoice Match Rate | Displays invoice to purchase order match rates |
| Warehouse Inventory Analysis | Custom DSS reporting tool allows users to closer analyze the inventory in specified DCs for specified items |
| Data Marketplace | Access published reports/analysis on the products that are sold through Walmart stores worldwide |
| Supplier Compliance and Preventative Actions (CAPA) | Food safety compliance tracking system for regulatory adherence |
| Walmart Connect Contact | Contact Walmart Connect about advertising opportunities |
| Alethia | Complaints management tool for compliance team |
| New Item Verification | Build daily verification reports for new items by date and vendor number. |
Quote Management | Provides suppliers with the access to see their quote ID, quote status, buy plan ID, buyer, product description, and product offer |
Related Reading: How to Navigate Walmart’s OTIF Scorecard in Retail Link
Supplier Academy
Retail Link offers access to Supplier Academy and Quick Learning guides throughout the apps and docs.
Supplier Academy is accessed through the main menu bar at the top of the Retail Link dashboard and is available to all suppliers. The platform provides educational resources on everything from foundational retail skills to technical guides for complex systems.
Quick Learning
These bite-sized resources are located within Supplier Academy and are excellent for quickly familiarizing yourself with many topics as well as each app’s layout, capabilities, and the most effective ways of obtaining the information needed.
We recommend suppliers utilize these resources for the efficiency and perspective they offer when working within Retail Link.
Walmart’s Grow with Us Program
Walmart's Grow With Us Program is a brand-new feature within Supplier Academy that offers businesses an organized approach to training. It contains all the information that existed previously within Retail Link but now it is laid out with a foundational approach to learning.
The new learning path is:
1. Business Fundamentals
Designed for entrepreneurs and small businesses, this path provides fundamental business skills such as marketing and finance.
2. Advanced Business
Builds upon the skills covered in the Business Fundamentals path and provides training skills like advanced marketing, cross-border trade, and eCommerce compliance.
3. Retail Ready Capabilities
Designed to provide suppliers with even deeper understanding within core retail capabilities like retail math, merchandising, and quality control.
4. Journey with Walmart
This section is a portal to guides that support suppliers throughout the entire journey with Walmart. Through these courses suppliers will learn the specific processes, standards, and best practices essential for working effectively with Walmart, from supplier standards and financing opportunities to replenishment and deductions.
This program creates a guided framework for suppliers aiming to scale their operations within Walmart’s retail ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
The real value in Retail Link lies in prioritization—focusing on the tools and insights that drive measurable outcomes. By leveraging the most impactful apps, refining the home page for clarity, and engaging with Supplier Academy resources, suppliers can transform complex data into actionable strategies.
