Most Retail Link users pull reports on a weekly basis. You can arrange to run reports automatically at a particular time, so they’re ready for you when you need them.
The question is: what’s the best time to run those reports?
The Walmart week begins on Saturday, so Saturday may seem like the obvious time to pull reports for the previous week. However, there can be issues with this:
- Two little words: time zones. While Walmart runs on Bentonville time, of course, but if you have stores in multiple time zones, that can affect how quickly sales get finalized.
- Two more little words: human nature. Stores don’t necessarily finalize sales precisely on time.
How about Monday, then? Chances are good that you like to begin Monday morning with a review of the previous week so you know where you are. Trouble is, so does everyone else. With that many people in the queue, you can end up waiting a long time for your reports.
That’s why we always recommend Sunday. By then, all the stores should be settled and you’ll be in line in plenty of time to get your report when you need it on Monday.
The real key to success with choosing when to run reports, though, is consistency. Retail Link is all about comparing: week over week, month over month, year over year. Pull your reports at different times, and you’ll have slight inaccuracies in your comparisons. These slight differences may keep you from seeing a pattern that might provide actionable data.
Considering Retail Link courses? We hope you’ll join us at 8th & Walton.
