Walmart fulfillment
Darwynn runs every Walmart channel for ecommerce and wholesale brands: Marketplace orders, Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) preparation and wholesale distribution to Walmart's distribution centres, from more than 15 locations across Canada and the USA.
Walmart Marketplace fulfillment
Walmart measures every Marketplace seller on speed, tracking and delivery against the date promised to the customer. Darwynn fulfills Walmart.com and Walmart.ca orders through its Walmart integration, with inventory and order status live in Darwynn OMS.
Orders leave a Darwynn location by the next day.
Walmart standard: 99% or above.
Walmart standard: 90% or above.
Every parcel travels with a carrier Walmart recognizes, so tracking posts to the order.
Fulfilled within the United States
Inventory held in Darwynn's U.S. network reaches Walmart.com customers at domestic delivery times. Canadian brands enter the U.S. marketplace without crossing the border on every order.
Fulfilled across Canada
Locations in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec keep inventory close to Walmart.ca customers in every region. Stock on both sides of the border is managed in one view in Darwynn OMS.
Walmart standards from its seller performance standards for Walmart.com.
Read more about fulfillment and warehousing
Preparation for Walmart Fulfillment Services
With Walmart Fulfillment Services, Walmart stores the inventory and ships every order. In return, it accepts stock only when it arrives prepared, labelled and scheduled to its standards; anything else is corrected at the seller's cost or sent back.
Darwynn prepares each replenishment to the brand's WFS shipping plan, applies Walmart's labels and delivers it to the assigned Walmart fulfillment centres, alongside the brand's other fulfillment.
Walmart requires a GTIN or UPC barcode on the outermost sellable packaging of every unit, still readable once the unit leaves the carton. EAN, vendor SKU and FNSKU barcodes are not accepted.
At Darwynn units are labelled or re-barcoded before packing.
Walmart requires liquids sealed or poly bagged, sets packed and marked “Sold as set”, and poly bags at least 1.5 mm thick with a suffocation warning and a barcode readable through the bag. Items within 60 days of expiry are not received.
At Darwynn units are bagged, bundled and sealed to these rules during preparation.
Walmart requires one WFS receiving label on every carton, left of centre on the longest side, carrying the Shipment ID barcode from the shipping plan.
At Darwynn the label is applied to each carton as it is packed.
Walmart requires no item barcode on the outside of a carton holding more than one item, and three STOP labels, “Mixed merchandise, receive as break pack”: one on each long side and one on top.
At Darwynn mixed cartons are marked before they are sealed.
Walmart requires a delivery appointment at the WFS facility for less-than-truckload and full-truckload shipments, with the Shipment ID on the carrier pickup request.
At Darwynn Darwynn Dispatch secures the freight and the delivery appointment.
Requirements from Walmart's WFS inbound guides on Marketplace Learn.
Read more about kitting and customization
Wholesale distribution to Walmart
Walmart holds every supplier to one standard: each purchase order delivered to its distribution centre on time and in full. Deliveries that arrive outside the appointment window, or short, are recorded against the supplier and charged back. In the U.S., the charge is 3% of the cost of goods on each affected case.
Transit distance is one of the most common causes. Darwynn holds inventory in eastern and western Canada, so purchase orders for western distribution centres ship from Calgary rather than crossing the country.
- 1
Walmart distribution centres
Walmart supplies its stores from distribution centres in Surrey, the Calgary area, Mississauga, Vaughan and Cornwall.
- 2
One warehouse in Toronto
Western purchase orders travel about 3,400 km to Calgary and 4,400 km to Surrey. Several days in transit leave little margin before the delivery window closes, and late cases are charged back.
- 3
Darwynn's regional network
A Darwynn location sits in the same region as each Walmart distribution centre. Cornwall is also served from Greater Toronto, and the Calgary-area centre from Metro Vancouver. Purchase orders are delivered locally, on the booked appointment.
Darwynn locationWestern centres served from the west
Purchase orders for Walmart's Calgary-area and Surrey distribution centres ship from Darwynn in Calgary and Metro Vancouver, not 3,400 to 4,400 km away in Toronto.
Margin before the appointment
Short transit leaves room before Walmart's delivery window closes, protecting on-time, in-full performance and reducing late-delivery chargebacks.
Stock placed by region
Inventory sits in Metro Vancouver, Calgary, Greater Toronto and Montréal, and Darwynn OMS ships each purchase order from the location nearest its distribution centre.
How each Walmart purchase order is delivered
- Purchase order received
Walmart's EDI purchase order (850) arrives through SPS Commerce and opens in Darwynn OMS with Walmart's delivery window.
- Prepared to Walmart's standards
Case packs, pallet configuration and GS1-128 labels follow the brand's Walmart requirements file, with kitting, re-barcoding or double wrapping where required.
- Freight and appointment
Darwynn Dispatch secures LTL or full-truckload capacity and a delivery appointment within the window.
- Advance ship notice
The ASN (EDI 856) is submitted for every shipment and matches the labels and the load, so Walmart receives exactly what it expects.
- Documented handover
The outbound checklist, photographs and handover time are recorded at pickup, and the brand follows the shipment in Darwynn OMS.
Walmart U.S. targets: 90% of cases on time for supplier-paid freight, 98% ready on time for Walmart-collected freight, 95% in full.
Read more about wholesale and retail distribution and LTL and FTL freight
Walmart fulfillment questions
Does Darwynn fulfill Walmart Marketplace orders in Canada and the USA?
Yes. Walmart.ca orders are fulfilled from Darwynn's Canadian locations and Walmart.com orders from its U.S. network, with next-day fulfillment on carriers Walmart accepts.
Can a Canadian brand sell on Walmart.com through Darwynn?
Yes. Inventory held in Darwynn's U.S. network serves Walmart.com customers at domestic delivery times, while Walmart.ca orders ship from Canada. Both are managed in Darwynn OMS.
What is the difference between Walmart Marketplace fulfillment and WFS?
With Marketplace fulfillment, inventory stays at Darwynn and Darwynn ships each order to the customer. With Walmart Fulfillment Services, Walmart stores the inventory and ships the orders; Darwynn prepares the stock and delivers it to Walmart's fulfillment centres. A brand can run both from the same inventory.
What does Walmart require on a WFS inbound shipment?
A GTIN or UPC barcode on every unit, prep for liquids, sets and loose items, one WFS receiving label on each carton with the Shipment ID, STOP labels on cartons with mixed items, and a delivery appointment for less-than-truckload and full-truckload freight.
Why do Walmart suppliers receive chargebacks for late delivery?
Walmart measures each purchase order against its delivery window and the quantity ordered, known as on time, in full (OTIF). Cases that arrive late, early or short count against the supplier; in the U.S., Walmart charges 3% of the cost of goods on each affected case. Long transit lanes are a common cause, which is why Darwynn ships orders for western distribution centres from Calgary.
Does Darwynn handle Walmart EDI and advance ship notices?
Yes. Walmart purchase orders (EDI 850) arrive through Darwynn's SPS Commerce integration, and Darwynn submits the advance ship notice (EDI 856) for every shipment, with GS1-128 labels on cases and pallets.
A fulfillment plan for the Walmart program
Darwynn reviews the product range, order volume and Walmart program requirements, then sets the locations, preparation, transportation and pricing for the brand's Marketplace, WFS and wholesale business with Walmart.