Nothing is more frustrating for shoppers than checking a retailer’s website, seeing an item marked “in stock,” and then arriving at a store only to find an empty shelf.
At that point, customers are left to choose a competing brand, if one is available, or head to another location, possibly a different retailer altogether. For businesses, those moments don’t just mean a missed sale. Repeated stock-outs can damage brand trust and slowly take away market share.
Manual inventory tracking has long been standard practice across retail. But it is often labor-intensive, time-consuming, and increasingly difficult to execute accurately, especially when staff is limited.
Human error can lead to overstocking or understocking, both of which cost businesses valuable time and revenue.
That’s the operational gap Walmart, one of the world’s largest physical retailers, is aiming to close.
Walmart launches Scintilla In-Store
Walmart (WMT) is introducing Scintilla In-Store, a tool that provides supplier field representatives with unified real-time store-level data and performance metrics to reduce out-of-stock items by identifying products that may be running low and require replenishment.
Scintilla In-Store brings together essential tools, real-time inventory data, actionable metrics, and supplier-assignemd tasks in a single app. By combining these functions, Walmart aims to shorten the distance between identifying a problem on the shelf and fixing it.
“They can also help ensure that items shifted on the shelf during busy shopping periods are accurately reflected in Walmart’s inventory systems, addressing common challenges in dynamic store environments,” said Walmart in a press release.
The system helps streamline operations at the shelf level while supporting a more seamless omnichannel shopping experience, keeping shelves stocked and customers satisfied. While the company has yet to disclose specific performance metrics of the launch, it appears to be reducing execution gaps that traditional forecasting systems often miss.
Formerly known as Volt, Scintilla In-Store is the newest addition to Walmart’s Scintilla portfolio and builds on the innovation of Volt, which Walmart acquired in 2022.
“We are excited Walmart is continuing to invest in new, innovative capabilities that will help empower our ways of working, and ultimately, ensure our products make their way into customers’ hands,” said The Coca-Cola Company North America Retail Chief Customer Officer Pamela Stewart in a company press release.
Benedict Enterprises LLCScott Benedict, a retailing executive with more than three decades of experience spanning retailing, e-commerce, omnichannel, and international retail merchandising and operations, said Walmart’s move effectively connects insight directly to in-store action.
“This is exactly where many out-of-stocks originate—not from forecasting alone, but from breakdowns in communication, replenishment timing, and in-store execution,” said Benedict.
“Tools like Scintilla In-Store don’t shift responsibility as much as they create alignment, giving both parties access to the same version of the truth and the ability to act on it,” he added. “In that sense, this is less about vendors ‘doing more’ and more about both sides doing better together, supported by better data and workflows.”
Still, implementation success will likely depend on supplier adoption and execution consistency.
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Why inventory management matters in the food industry
Inventory management is one of the most critical factors in running a successful business, especially in food and consumables, where margins can be thin, and spoilage risk is high.
When done effectively, it reduces waste, controls costs, maintains quality standards, and supports customer loyalty.
However, when not managed properly, the costs can be high. Stock-outs cost retailers over $1.2 trillion in lost sales annually, according to IHL Group. Ongoing supply chain disruptions tied to geopolitical instability, tariffs, labor shortages, and extreme weather events have made inventory accuracy even more difficult in recent years.
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“Repeated stockouts are a clear sign of poor brand reliability and directly impact this trust,” said Mirakl Senior Corporate Manager Sal Trifilio. “Consistent unavailability makes a brand seem disorganized or poorly managed, signaling to customers that their needs are not a priority.”
Analysts at LIS said technology now plays a major role in preventing those breakdowns.
“By integrating advanced stock management tools, businesses can automate reordering processes, track inventory across multiple channels, and receive alerts for low stock levels,” said LIS analysts. “A comprehensive inventory tracking system enhances decision-making and ensures businesses are prepared for demand changes while reducing manual errors in the supply chain.”
Inventory management across retail
Walmart is not alone in investing in inventory management technology as retailers look to improve accuracy and protect margins. Other companies are making similar moves.
Other retailers using inventory management technology
- Starbucks: Rolled out AI-powered automated inventory counting across U.S. stores in September 2025, according to a company press release.
- Target: Has used its Inventory Ledger system since 2023, according to a company press release.
- Amazon: Operates multiple proprietary inventory management platforms, Brightpearl reported.
- Kroger: Piloted autonomous inventory scanning robots in 2025, as reported by Grocery Dive.
- Costco: Uses real-time inventory tracking systems across its warehouses, as reported by The Street.
As retailers continue to implement inventory management technology, competition may increase depending on how quickly teams can adapt.
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