Walmart’s Inventory Checker vs. Amazon’s Inventory Tools

January 21, 2025
By The Badger

At Ad Badger Enterprises, we’ve been writing and ranting about Amazon for ages. Why? Because Amazon is the big, bad, hyper-efficient gorilla in the room for sellers. Everyone either loves it, hates it, or can’t stop obsessing over how to dominate its marketplace.

But something curious has been happening lately: Walmart has quietly been stepping up its game. As a major competitor, it’s now earning its stripes as a viable alternative—or at least a complementary option—for online sellers. This begs the question: which platform is better for sellers? And more importantly, what makes Walmart’s Inventory Checker so interesting?

Let’s dive in and see how these two retail titans stack up.

Introduction

Amazon, the behemoth that practically wrote the playbook on e-commerce, boasts a massive reach with millions of third-party sellers and billions of products. It’s the go-to for everything from kitchen gadgets to rare collectibles.

Sellers love Amazon for its colossal customer base and robust logistics infrastructure—Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), anyone?

On the other hand, Walmart, historically a brick-and-mortar powerhouse, has been rapidly expanding its e-commerce presence. Its online marketplace is smaller but growing fast, bolstered by its extensive network of physical stores and curbside pickup options. Walmart is positioning itself as a hybrid model—bridging online and offline sales more seamlessly than Amazon.

By using Walmart’s Inventory Checker, sellers can monitor stock levels, keep tabs on product availability in local stores, and analyze market demand to identify hot-selling items in specific locations. This allows for better inventory planning and optimized fulfillment strategies.

While Amazon also has tools for inventory management, Walmart’s Inventory Checker offers a unique advantage by blending digital insights with physical store data. This hybrid approach is intriguing, providing sellers with insights that can inform smarter business decisions.

Walmart’s approach combines the vast reach of an online platform with the immediacy and convenience of brick-and-mortar stores. While Amazon’s customers are predominantly online shoppers, Walmart caters to both digital and in-person audiences, expanding selling opportunities.

Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) is the gold standard for logistics, but Walmart’s store pickup and same-day delivery options add a layer of flexibility Amazon can’t fully replicate. Additionally, Amazon’s marketplace is saturated, whereas Walmart, being relatively new to the e-commerce game, offers sellers a less crowded playing field.

At Ad Badger, we’re always looking for what’s next in the seller ecosystem. Amazon has dominated the conversation for years, but Walmart is finally carving out its own space.

With tools like the Inventory Checker and a growing marketplace, Walmart presents intriguing opportunities for sellers who want to diversify and hedge their bets in an ever-changing retail landscape.

So, what’s your move? Stick with Amazon’s juggernaut? Explore Walmart’s hybrid potential? Or maybe both?

What is the Walmart Inventory Checker?

The Walmart Inventory Checker is a powerful tool designed to help customers and sellers verify product availability in local Walmart stores. It serves as a bridge between the vast inventory listed online and the actual stock available in physical stores. This tool is a lifeline for anyone looking to avoid the disappointment of finding empty shelves.

For Walmart customers, the Inventory Checker offers a straightforward way to identify which nearby Walmart locations have the items they need in stock. Particularly beneficial for high-demand or limited-availability items, entering product details allows users to save time and avoid frustration through confirmed stock levels before heading to the store.

Sellers joining Walmart Marketplace can also benefit immensely as a Walmart marketplace seller in an online marketplace. Understanding inventory status across locations enables informed decisions on stock replenishment and distribution. This ensures that their products are always available to Walmart customers, enhancing the overall shopping experience and boosting sales in online marketplaces.

Additionally, utilizing the seller center can streamline these processes further, especially when selling on Walmart.

For more information, check the Walmart marketplace faq.

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What is the Amazon Inventory Checker?

Amazon’s Inventory Checker, or more accurately, its suite of inventory management tools, is a cornerstone of its e-commerce ecosystem.

For sellers, these tools are designed to streamline operations, optimize stock levels, and integrate seamlessly with Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) service.

But how does Amazon’s inventory system compare to Walmart’s Inventory Checker, especially in the context of sellers looking to expand their reach?

The Amazon Approach

Amazon’s inventory tools thrive on centralization. Sellers using FBA gain access to systems that automate stock replenishment, track sales trends, and predict demand. This is invaluable for managing inventory on a massive scale.

Once products are shipped to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, sellers can almost forget about the logistics. Amazon takes over, handling storage, shipping, and even customer service. The efficiency is undeniable, but it comes at a cost: steep fees and fierce competition.

Amazon’s inventory tools also cater exclusively to online operations. Whether you’re selling internationally or targeting niche markets, the platform’s focus is digital.

This is ideal for brands with e-commerce-centric strategies but lacks the localized insights that brick-and-mortar integration could offer.

Key Differences for Sellers:

Amazon’s inventory tools are built for global e-commerce, with features that support large-scale operations. Walmart’s approach, while still growing, is more localized and focused on blending digital and physical channels.
Amazon’s marketplace is crowded, making it challenging for new sellers to stand out. Walmart’s e-commerce platform, though smaller, offers a less saturated environment with growing opportunities.
Walmart’s Inventory Checker provides real-time, location-based data, allowing sellers to make region-specific decisions. Amazon’s tools focus more on overarching trends and centralized inventory control.

How to Use the Walmart Inventory Checker

The Walmart Inventory Checker becomes easy to use once familiar. It requires specific product details, such as product IDs, for accurate results.

Here’s a breakdown of the process into manageable steps.

First, you’ll need to search for products using the Walmart Inventory Checker. This involves entering product numbers obtained from the Walmart website. The next step is interpreting the availability results, which will indicate whether the items are available, limited, or out of stock.

Finally, you can check multiple locations to find the best availability for your products. Following these steps maximizes the Walmart Inventory Checker’s utility, ensuring you find needed items with minimal hassle.

Searching for Products

Begin your search by using specific product numbers like GTIN, UPC, or Walmart ID, which are crucial for pinpointing the exact item. These numbers can be found on the product’s detail page on the Walmart website.

Once you have the product ID, enter it into the Walmart Inventory Checker. This tool enables you to search for items across various categories, ensuring that you’re looking at the correct product. Confirming that the item matches the details on the Walmart site is essential to avoid discrepancies.

Employing these product IDs streamlines your search and boosts the accuracy of your inventory check. This step is particularly beneficial for marketplace sellers who need to manage their stock effectively and ensure that their listings are up-to-date.

Interpreting Availability Results

After entering the product details and initiating the search, the Walmart Inventory Checker offers insights into stock levels, indicating whether items are available, limited, or out of stock. Understanding these indicators helps make informed shopping decisions.

Although the tool shows in-stock items, it doesn’t guarantee physical availability on the shelf. Products might be in carts or reserved for online orders, so double-checking with the store is advisable, especially for high-demand items.

Checking Multiple Locations

One of the most useful features of the Walmart Inventory Checker is the ability to compare inventory levels across various Walmart locations. This can be a game-changer when searching for in-demand products or items with limited availability.

Entering your zip code or specifying a search radius allows you to determine product availability in multiple stores, increasing your chances of finding the desired item and planning your shopping trip more effectively. Checking multiple locations ensures you get the best deal and avoid unnecessary trips.

How to Use the Amazon Inventory Checker

The Amazon Inventory Checker is a vital tool for sellers aiming to streamline their inventory management and maximize their sales potential. While it doesn’t come with the exact name “Inventory Checker” like Walmart’s counterpart, Amazon’s robust suite of tools provides comparable functionality.

Step 1: Access Your Seller Central Dashboard

From here, navigate to the “Inventory” tab. This is your central hub for all inventory-related activities, from tracking stock levels to managing fulfillment settings.

Step 2: Use the “Manage Inventory” Section

Under the “Inventory” tab, select “Manage Inventory.” This section gives you an overview of your product catalog, including current stock levels, pricing, and fulfillment status.

You can:

Track Stock Levels: Monitor how much inventory is available for each SKU.
Set Restock Alerts: Get notified when stock levels dip below a set threshold.
View Sales Trends: Analyze sales data to identify high-performing products and seasonal trends.

Step 3: Leverage Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) Insights

For sellers using FBA, the “Inventory Performance” dashboard offers advanced analytics. This includes:

Turnover Rates: Understand how quickly your products are selling.
Excess Inventory Alerts: Identify items that are overstocked and may need promotional strategies.
Restock Recommendations: Receive automated suggestions for replenishing inventory based on sales history and forecasted demand.

Step 4: Monitor Inventory Health

Amazon’s Inventory Health report is another critical feature. Access it from the “Reports” section in Seller Central.

This report helps you:

Track Inventory Age: Identify slow-moving products that may incur storage fees.
Analyze Sell-Through Rates: Determine how efficiently your products are selling relative to the stock on hand.
Manage Storage Costs: Reduce long-term storage fees by optimizing stock levels.

Step 5: Utilize the “Restock Inventory” Tool

The “Restock Inventory” tool simplifies replenishment planning. This tool provides:

Demand Forecasts: Project future sales to avoid stockouts or overstocking.
Shipment Creation: Generate FBA shipments directly from recommendations.
Custom Settings: Adjust lead times, storage limits, and other factors to align with your business needs.

While Walmart’s Inventory Checker may offer unique advantages for localized insights, Amazon’s tools shine in their scalability and integration with a global e-commerce powerhouse.

Use these features wisely to grow your business and maximize your sales potential.

Amazon vs. Walmart: Who Benefits Most from Their Inventory Management Systems?

Choosing between Amazon and Walmart for inventory management largely depends on the nature of your business, your operational strategy, and the audience you’re targeting.

Each platform offers distinct advantages in terms of tools and approach. Let’s break down who should gravitate toward Amazon’s ecosystem versus Walmart’s hybrid model when inventory management is the primary concern.

Amazon: The Choice for Global Scalability and Centralized Operations

Amazon’s inventory management system is tailored for sellers aiming for global reach and streamlined logistics. If your business priorities include large-scale e-commerce operations, centralized control, and seamless integration, Amazon might be the better fit.

Ideal for:

Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) system excels at handling significant volumes of inventory. Sellers can offload storage, packing, and shipping to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, reducing logistical complexity.
For businesses operating exclusively online, Amazon’s tools provide everything needed to track, manage, and restock inventory efficiently without worrying about physical store integration.
Amazon’s international marketplace and infrastructure make it an excellent choice for brands targeting customers across multiple countries.

Advantages:

Centralized tools like the “Inventory Performance Dashboard” simplify oversight.
Predictive analytics and restock recommendations help sellers optimize stock levels.
The ecosystem minimizes manual intervention, letting sellers focus on scaling.

Walmart: The Go-To for Localized Insights and Hybrid Selling

Walmart’s inventory management tools, highlighted by its Inventory Checker, are tailored for sellers looking to bridge the online and offline worlds. If your strategy revolves around localized demand, in-store presence, or hybrid operations, Walmart has the edge.

Ideal for:

Walmart’s Inventory Checker allows sellers to monitor stock levels in specific locations, offering opportunities to align inventory with local demand.
For businesses that operate both online and in-store, Walmart’s dual-channel capabilities create a seamless experience for customers and sellers alike.
Walmart’s less saturated marketplace gives emerging sellers a chance to establish themselves without the intense competition found on Amazon.

Advantages:

Real-time data on in-store stock provides localized insights unavailable on Amazon.
Integration with Walmart’s physical stores opens up options like in-store pickup and same-day delivery.
The dual-channel model allows sellers to capitalize on both digital and physical traffic.

Choose Amazon if:

Your business is built around online sales with a focus on scalability.
You’re targeting a global audience and require centralized inventory tools.
You prioritize automation and are comfortable with FBA’s fees in exchange for logistical simplicity.

Choose Walmart if:

You want to tap into regional markets and tailor inventory to localized demand.
Your operations blend online sales with a brick-and-mortar presence.
You’re looking for an e-commerce platform with lower competition and hybrid flexibility.

Both platforms have robust inventory management systems, but the right choice depends on your business model and long-term goals.

Savvy sellers might even consider leveraging both—using Amazon for scale and global reach while utilizing Walmart for regional precision and hybrid opportunities.

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Summary

When it comes to inventory management, Amazon and Walmart offer distinct strengths tailored to different seller needs. Amazon excels in global scalability and centralized operations, making it ideal for e-commerce-focused businesses aiming for wide-reaching sales and streamlined logistics.

In contrast, Walmart’s hybrid model bridges online and offline sales, offering localized insights and unique opportunities for sellers targeting regional markets or combining digital and in-store strategies. The choice ultimately depends on your business goals and operational priorities, with some sellers finding value in leveraging both platforms to maximize reach and efficiency.