Walmart’s Packaging Updates are a Big Hit!

Greetings Vendorville 👋,

Baseball season is in full swing! It may be too early in the season to know who will come out on top and which promising team will inevitably fall from grace, but it’s not too early to review what’s new with Walmart’s Secondary Packaging Standards for 2025.

If you are a rookie in the world of supply chain, let us lay out the playbook for you.

♻️ Swing for the Fences with Sustainability Goals

We all want to make the world a better place, and apparently, so does Walmart. One of the biggest portions of the Secondary Packaging Standards update is a playbook on recycling and sustainability. With helpful categories and flowcharts, you can be sure that adherence to Walmart’s expectations won’t feel like a curveball.

Walmart boils it all down to 3 suggestions:

Optimize

If your products or packaging are already recyclable, then great! But how can you make it even better?

Change

If your products or packaging are not recyclable, and you can do something about it, then change it.

Advance

If changing products or packaging into something completely recyclable is not an option, then make what changes you can now to improve.

📦 Loading the Bases with New RRP Standards

First things first, the priority of Walmart’s new RRP Standards is safety! Or is it sustainability? Well, I guess it can be both!

But whether it’s Walmart’s update to PDQ standards or store fixtures, it is important that nothing creates an unsafe environment and that, where possible, everything is sustainable.

PDQ

PDQ stands for “Product Displayed Quickly” or “Pretty Darn Quick.” It is important that PDQ displays adhere to Walmart’s rules below so that they don’t turn into a “Pretty Devastating Quandary.”

Rule 1: Deliver the Message

All signage associated with the display must be clear to the customer, both in size and content. This includes pricing and product descriptions.

Rule 2: Structural Integrity

If the display is intended to be customer-ready from pallet to store, it should be stable throughout the entire process.

Rule 3: Clear Price Impression

Signage must be displayed clearly, as stated by Rule 1, but Rule 3 relates to Walmart’s “Goal Post Price Signs.” All PDQ displays must be able to accommodate signage so that it is clear to the customer.

Rule 4: Manage Inventory Turnover

The last thing Walmart wants is excess inventory, so it is important to keep this in mind when shipping PDQ displays!

Rule 5: Maintain Clean Line of Sight

Finally, make sure that each PDQ display is the same height as those around it so as to maintain a clean and clear visual.

SRP

SRP stands for Shelf-Ready Packaging, and is defined by The 5 Easies:

Easy to Identify

In the back of the store, the package needs to be “easy to identify.” Minimum requirements are (among other things) brand recognition and barcodes that are visible through shrink wrap.

Easy to Open

Exactly as it sounds, packaging should be “easy to open,” ideally in 3 steps or less. Among other requirements, the SRP instructions should be clear on the packaging.

Easy to Stock

SRP packaging should be easy for the store employees to identify, open, and then stock onto the store shelves.

Easy to Shop

Similar to the 4th easy, “easy to shop” means that all packaging that is shelved with the product must not prevent easy access and identification by the customer.

Easy Disposal

And finally, SRP packaging must be easy to dispose of when the time comes–whether it is cardboard, plastic, shrink wrap, etc.

When the “5 Easies” start to feel like the “5 Difficults”

Walmart Fixtures

Finally, Walmart lays out the various functions, updates, and shelving specifications on the store floor.

Whether it is full-length aisle shelves, endcaps, or sidekick wire frames, you will find all the information you need to be a Walmart fixture MVP in the the updated Secondary Packaging Guide.

Side Counter Shelf

These shelves can fill the entire length of an aisle, but the depth of the shelves themselves are dependent on the product and/or department.

Aisle

Pegboards, uprights, base decks, and kick plates make up typical full-length shelves on a typical aisle.

Endcap

These are literally the shelves on the end-up side counter shelving units. Endcaps must accommodate Walmart’s price sign holders.

Sidekick Wire Frame

Sidekick wire frames are attached to endcaps on the end of shelving units and are used to display items.

Walmart Price Sign Holder

Probably the most important Walmart fixture as far as customers are concerned!

Whether you are hitting it out of the park on the daily, or grinding your way to a winning record, don’t let Walmart’s Secondary Packaging Updates pick you off! This playbook will have you hitting it outta the park.

Retailer News 🗞️

Retail Brew

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Quartz

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⭐ Rick’s Tips ⭐

"If you're looking to improve your batting average with Walmart, don’t ignore the power of performance insights. Understanding your stats is just as important in Supplier One as it is on the field. Our Understanding Performance Insights in Supplier One webinar breaks down the key metrics you need to improve your game and stay in the starting lineup."

Let's Circle Back

If MLB teams were part of the supply chain industry, what would your team say about you (in corporate)?

⚾ American League East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays

You have a legacy of excellence driven by innovation, competition, and a results-oriented mindset.

⚾ American League Central: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins

You value strategic stability with opportunities for calculated growth.

⚾ American League West: Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers

You are a high-risk, high-reward decision-maker in a competitive landscape.

⚾ National League East: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals

You are dynamic and driven by investment, influence, and high expectations.

⚾ National League Central: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals

You have a legacy of consistency with an evolving approach to sustained success.

⚾ National League West: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants

You dominate the market through strategic acquisitions and brand dominance.

With ♥️,
SupplierWiki