Walmart to Charge Suppliers New Fuel and Pickup Fees - Modern Distribution Management

Walmart to Charge Suppliers New Fuel and Pickup Fees

The retail giant will charge extra fees to some of its suppliers to transport goods to its warehouses and stores, according to reports.
According to a company memo seen by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, retail giant Walmart Inc. will begin to charge extra fees to some of its suppliers to transport goods to its warehouses and stores in response to rising fuel and transportation costs.

According to a company memo seen by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, retail giant Walmart Inc. will begin to charge extra fees to some of its suppliers to transport goods to its warehouses and stores in response to rising fuel and transportation costs.

Reuters and the WSJ report that the memo from Walmart’s chief merchandising officer and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. said that the company will impose a “collect pickup charge” calculated as a percentage of the cost of goods received and a fuel surcharge based on the cost of fuel to transport the goods. 

In June, Walmart’s U.S. CEO John Furner said the company would need to pass on the costs of higher fuel or shipping to “to fairly price and protect the margins where appropriate.”

The news outlets added that this move comes more than a month after Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, cut its full-year profit outlook, blaming rising costs of labor and fuel. Fuel costs, in particular, ran over $160 million higher than the company had anticipated.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the details of the memo, which was addressed to Walmart’s “Valued Collect Suppliers”

“This program is a result of Walmart adapting to the significant transformation and increased costs seen in the transportation industry over the past few years,” the memo read. “The changes outlined… allow us to share cost accountability with our Collect suppliers, helping to enable us to meet our everyday low price commitment to our customers.”

John Furner added that some suppliers are responding positively to Walmart’s efforts.

Related Posts

Share this article

About the Author
Recommended Reading
Leave a Reply

Leave a Comment

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

The MDM update newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!

2

articles left

Want more Premium content from MDM?

Subscribe today and get:

  • New issues twice each month
  • Unlimited access to mdm.com, including 10+ years of archived data
  • Current trends analysis, market data and economic updates
  • Discounts on select store products and events

Subscribe to continue reading

MDM Premium Subscribers get:

  • Unlimited access to MDM.com
  • 1 year digital subscription, with new issues twice a month
  • Trends analysis, market data and quarterly economic updates
  • Deals on select store products and events

1

article
left

You have one free article remaining

Subscribe to MDM Premium to get unlimited access. Your subscription includes:

  • Two new issues a month
  • Access to 10+ years of archived data on mdm.com
  • Quarterly economic updates, trends analysis and market data
  • Store and event discounts

To continue reading, you must be an MDM Premium subscriber.

Join other distribution executives who use MDM Premium to optimize their business. Our insights and analysis help you enter the right new markets, turbocharge your sales and marketing efforts, identify business partners that help you scale, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.