Ammo Shortage ?

[rockwerks]

Originally Posted by utimmer43

What Walmart do you work at, and what is your position? Are you telling me that all it takes is ONE person in each store to keep up on the ordering? How is it (maybe a stupid question) that no one else at any other store has figured that out?

Are you serious? Most people who work at Walmart do so because they cant hold any other type of position. It sounds like thewatchfuleye is a much needed exception

I know the Guy who runs the Gun section at our local Walmart wears galoshes everyday with his pants tucked in with belt and suspenders, long sleeve flannel shirt and a hat that says "Bubba" ............everyday.

[utimmer43]

Originally Posted by rockwerks

Are you serious? Most people who work at Walmart do so because they cant hold any other type of position. It sounds like thewatchfuleye is a much needed exception

I know the Guy who runs the Gun section at our local Walmart wears galoshes everyday with his pants tucked in with belt and suspenders, long sleeve flannel shirt and a hat that says "Bubba" ............everyday.

Hence the "maybe a stupid question" disclaimer.

[thewatchfuleye]

I am just a regular associate, but the people in our department are up on the situation and know what is going on, and we are familiar with the ins and outs of the ordering system. The stuff can show up at the warehouse from the manufacturer on any day and more than once it has been on a day when there is no department manager on duty. Every day we hand scan all the ammo, usually more than once on a given day, if something comes in at the warehouse and no longer shows out, we order it immediately. Assuming the order is approved before the system starts replenishing the other stores (by the screwed up rate of sale which usually gives something of a window) then the store that placed the order gets the greater quantity the warheouse may get 100, we might order 100, we might get 50 but that is more than anyone else got. This is a combination of persistant reorderding and scanning every day and a bit of luck. Sometimes you'll get the order through in time sometimes the system starts dividing up what stores it is going to go to. You won't get everything in quantity every time, but if you persist upon ordering it repeatedly you'll hit enough of them that you start to build an inventory. This is all a matter of luck as far as region too, say one warehouse gets 100 boxes of 9mm another might not. The stores with the more knowledgable staff will be able to get some stuff in. I'm sure we're not the only store doing this either, I'm sure there are at least a few stores up on things enough to be doing so. Our Winchester white box stuff is actually starting to look fairly full, though it took the better part of three months to do it. Herein lies the problem, if your store takes more than a passing interest, they will get some stuff in. If its just a fleeting interest they might get a few things.

For a hypothetical example. If 100 boxes of 9mm came in to the warehouse though and there are 10 stores in the area served by the warehouse and no one orders any and lets the system do everything everyone would get 10 boxes. With the imposed 6 box limit it only really takes two customers to clear that quantity. If you catch it at the right time they might send you 30 boxes instead. Everyone else though would get maybe 2 or 3 boxes less until the warehouse runs out.

The reason they're limiting to 6 boxes is because they're trying to get the warehouses backstocked with a decent quantity. Based on the current sales I'd think they'd have to limit it to more like 3 boxes, as we have people regularly buy all the 380s as soon as they come in even if we can get 20 boxes (which is probably 5 times what the other stores in our area are getting).

This goes beyond just the department manager needing to be on top of things, the other associates in the department need to be on top of it too. Even our assitants care enough to have given us free reign to attempt huge quantity orders when the stuff shows in stock because they know the stuff will sell if we can get it. The DM is only there 5 days a week, the stuff needs to be scanned morning and night 7 days a week, ordered as soon as it shows in stock at the warehouse. Figuring that the store will get lucky 1/3 of the time. I happened to scan some stuff last saturday and got an order placed, we got nearly everything I ordered including dozens of boxes of 45s.

Three of the five of us working at our store are gun nuts so to speak, we've taken pride in having the most fully stocked ammo case in all the local Walmarts. We even have started pre ordering shotgun ammo for hunting season just in case we start seeing shotgun ammo shortages. This here is where the problem lies, we know what our customers want and are doing our best to serve them, some of the stores just don't know, or simply don't care. If your associates care at your Walmart they can and will try and get you what you want. At our store we pride ourselves in our knowledge and have done everything to work through it. We know that our customers have suffered the burden less than in some areas and will be back many times over to purchase from our great selection of ammo.

[utimmer43]

Well, hats off to you for doing your customers such a service. I wonder if I could convince the folks in my local WM to be as persistant.

What WM do you work at?

[AR-15 Rep]

Yes there is a ammo shortage across the country. Last word we had was imorted ammo my not be able to get in country. Reloading supplies have been a problem for a while. We have some ammo coming in and will be available to ship on the 29th of this month. All of the ammo is Made in U.S.A. from BVAC in Montana.

[Red Hat]

I keep hearing about a 6 box limit at Walmart. A walmart in my area imposed a 6 box limit on ammo and someone complained to Corporate. They were told that Walmart doesn't limit ammo sales and to stop their sales limit. I can buy as many boxes I want at that Walmart.

[thewatchfuleye]

I'd rather not disclose my location as we'd rather the other local stores not get on to what we know as they might cut into the supply. I just received the word, 70 boxes of 223 today. Not one local store has any.

[texas red]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'll be glad when the lunatic fringe has maxed out their credit cards. Then the rest of us can go back to buying a couple of boxes on our way to the range.

[RedThunder94]

yeah i miss the good old days, stop by wally world pick up a box or two of the plinking stuff for a couple of the guns that need a workout and have a fun afternoon, been a boring few months.

[Debray]

A co worker called me Sunday afternoon and said he was at a Sporting good store in Columbus, Ohio, and they have skids of ammo.

He sounded like a kid in a candy shop. He said, "what do you want me to bring you home, I just got myself 1000 rounds of 45 cal."

I told him to pick me up 500 round of 9mm.

We have been wanting to go to a combat shoot and now we can.

Debray