Sean Presley joins Three Minute Insights to discuss how retail suppliers can proactively manage supply chain disruptions caused by natural disasters. Learn the importance of historical data analysis, pre-planning inventory, and partnering with merchants for better preparedness.
Lainie: Welcome to 3-Minute Insights, where we discuss issues of importance to retail suppliers in about three minutes or less. This week, our guest is 8th & Walton’s Sean Presley, and we’re examining how suppliers can stay proactive when natural disasters or other events disrupt supply chains and daily operations. Welcome, Sean.
Sean: Thank you. I’m glad to be here. It’s definitely a timely topic, especially after the winter weather we just had.
Lainie: Absolutely. Since these kinds of events don’t happen at the same time each year—and their nature changes—what can suppliers do to make sure they’re prepared and can account for the impact of these events on their sales numbers?
Sean: The first thing suppliers should do is maintain a history—almost like a calendar—of what’s happened in the past so they can plan for similar situations in the future.
When I was in the supplier field, one of my best practices was conducting a weekly recap of what actually happened. That helped identify events like winter storms and allowed us to look at the numbers and immediately say, “Oh, that’s what caused the dip or spike this week.”
It’s helpful to house this information in an ERP system or WMS that supports all sales groups. So, step one is identifying the patterns of when disruptions happen.
The second step is being proactive. If a supplier knows certain items are affected by winter storms, they should plan ahead—maybe hold a few extra weeks of inventory during key timeframes. That way, they can flex up quickly and meet Walmart’s needs.
On the flip side, they need to be ready for the rebound. During weather events, shoppers tend to buy ahead, which creates a surge in demand. The week after is usually much lighter, so suppliers should plan accordingly.
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Lainie: That’s great advice. Are there any general processes or organizational principles suppliers should implement to help them respond more nimbly to disruptions?
Sean: Yes, absolutely. At the very start of the season, suppliers should reach out to their merchant partners to identify whether their products fall under what Walmart considers “winter weather items.” Walmart keeps a list of these, and if a supplier’s products are on it, they should already be aware.
Those items are often purchased in truckloads ahead of storms, so early coordination is key. Partnering with the merchant and planning ahead—really as far out as possible—ensures that when disruptions occur, suppliers aren’t left scrambling. Being prepared in advance is what ultimately saves time, money, and stress.
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