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WFS Operational Guide
Last updated on Oct 16, 2024
Reading time: 20 min
Overview
At Walmart, we care about the experience of our sellers and our customers, so properly shipping and delivering packages to the distribution center ensures the satisfaction of the customers purchasing your products. In this article you will learn best practices for the correct packaging of your products, as well as special considerations for special care products.
Product Requirements
There are some additional constraints to consider when shipping your products to WFS:
  • Your inventory must be shipped to a WFS-enabled distribution center within the United Mexican States.

  • Do not ship products requiring temperature control

  • Do not ship prohibited products

  • Products that do not meet WFS acceptance criteria

  • Do not ship products over 60kg


 Consider that some products require prior approval, which can be found in the Pre-Approval Process article.


Item Preparation
. To ensure timely receipt of inventory and order processing, products delivered to one of our Distribution Centers must meet Walmart's labeling and packaging requirements. This includes scannable barcodes and product preparation for shipment.


Product Labeling
All products shipped to the WFS Warehouse must have the product’s UPC/GTIN label.
The only label accepted in addition to the UPC/GTIN label is the product label (WFS label) generated by Seller Center and the special handling label for products that require it.
For products with an expiration date, the date must be visible and formatted as (DD/MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY) on each product.
All products must include the country of origin of manufacture
All labels must be visible and scannable. The distribution center will reject and return, at the seller’s expense, each unit of any product that does not have a scannable UPC/GTIN label and WFS label with product data.
Walmart may offer a labeling service (WFS label) to the seller for an additional cost, see the WFS Rates article to learn more about this service.



Packaging
  • All products must be protected in a sealed or closed container, ready for sale.

  • Items must be packaged in clear or transparent polyethylene bags.

  • Price tags, product labels and/or any retailer’s specific labels should not be on the product packaging.

  • All required hazard warnings are clearly visible and evident on all clear polyethylene bags used.

  • All perishable products must include a visible expiration date on the saleable unit packaging.

  • Expiration dates should be shown in the format DD/MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY. If the expiration date is printed in a different format, a sticker with the correct format, covering the original expiration date, must be applied.

  • Products that expire and are kept in containers that require additional preparation, such as jars or glass bottles, must be prepared to ensure that the expiration date is accessible during receipt by CeDis.

  • For shoes, the country of origin label or marking must be on both shoes of the pair. Simply having the country of origin on the website or on a shoebox is insufficient. It must be physically on both shoes.

  • Packaging inserts and other forms of marketing materials are acceptable, while they should not be designed specifically for the other non-Walmart Fulfillment Services platforms. For products that are not properly prepared and packaged, shipping may result in you being liable for handling charges, which will be determined on an individual basis. All products must meet Walmart's packaging and labeling requirements


Products are prepared differently depending on the type of product. The table below will help give you a breakdown of the packaging requirements for each category

Load Preparation
White Goods (Computers, TVs and Monitors)
  • Due to their very fragile nature, large electronic devices, such as computers, TVs and monitors, require special packaging to ensure safe transit through the ground network.
  • We strongly recommend packing all large electronic devices by placing the manufacturer's box in another, slightly larger carton.
  • Place a cardboard frame inside the outer carton to suspend the manufacturer’s box in the center of the outer carton (as shown in the picture below)

Guía operativa WFS 5.png


  • Inside the manufacturer’s carton, we suggest using custom molds to secure the product (as shown in the pictures below.) Instead of using Styrofoam for the custom molds, we recommend "foamed plastic".

    Guía operativa WFS 6.png
    • The entire item should be wrapped in thick sheets of poly ethane or shell plastics.

    • Additional protection, such as foam sheeting, is required for monitors and TV screens.

    • Arrows indicating stacking and handling instructions will be printed on the box.

    liquids
    liquids (i.e., products that are or contain liquids, pastes, gels and creams) must be packaged so that during the normal course of order fulfillment (i.e., receipt, storage, shipment preparation and transit to the customer), the product will not leak. Any liquid posing a safety hazard may be rejected by Walmart and returned at the seller’s expense. Corrugated containers for multi-unit packaged products must meet the following criteria:
    • Box Certificate seal.

    • The product is in a 6-sided carton.

    • The carton should not yield when pressure is applied to either side.

    • Neither side of the product carton has an opening that makes some of the contents visible from the outside.

    • The product contents inside must be held securely in place inside the carton.

    • The carton must be sealed with tape, glue or staples.

    • The carton has clear markings indicating which side of the carton is the top.

    • The carton must not contain hazardous materials or goods as defined by Mexico’s Dangerous Goods Transportation Regulations.

      Each saleable unit must be able to pass a drop test. A drop test means that a packaged item must be dropped four consecutive times from a height of 24 inches onto a concrete surface, once on the top, bottom, bottom corner, and the longest bottom edge. Each item must survive a single test (four drops). A test is considered successful if the container remains leak-free.

  • Guía operativa WFS 7.png
  • Sharp Items
    Sharp products (i.e., any product with sharp or pointed edges such that, when exposed, the edge would pose a safety hazard to associates, carriers or customers receiving or unpacking the product) must be packaged so that during the normal course of order fulfillment (i.e. receipt, storage, shipment preparation and transit to the customer), the sharp or pointed edge will not be exposed. Any sharp product that poses a safety hazard may be rejected by Walmart and returned at the seller’s expense.
    • Sharp items must be blister-packed in a manner that provides the safest packaging. The blister must cover the sharp edge and be securely fastened to the item so that the item will not slip inside the blister.

    • Place or wrap the unit in protective plastic shells or a protective box, so that the packaging fully covers the exposed edges. An overpackaged product is placed in an additional box during shipment. Ensure that the barcode is scannable without opening or unwrapping the unit.

    • Sharp products secured to a print and wrapped in plastic may also be allowed as long as the item is secured to the print (i.e. does not slip), the plastic is rigid enough to withstand handling and outside contact will not cause the sharp product to puncture the plastic.

    • Sharp products contained in plastic covered molded prints are generally not safe and are not recommended.

    • Cardboard or plastic sheaths alone on the sharp blade are not sufficient, unless the sheath is made of a rigid, durable plastic and is securely attached to the product to prevent slipping.

    • Sharp items should not be packed or shipped with non-sharp items.

    • Outer boxes with sharp items should be labeled as such.

     

    Glass, Ceramic, Breakable and Fragile
    This section applies to any product made of extremely delicate materials or construction or that requires careful handling to avoid breakage or damage. Such items may present a safety hazard to associates, carriers, or customers receiving or unpacking the product. Breakable products must be packaged so that during the normal course of the fulfillment process they cannot be broken or exposed.
    Packaging Requirements:
    • Items must come in a solid six-sided box, with no exposure.

    • All items must be individually wrapped to prevent damage from contact with other items inside the container (e.g., a set of four wine glasses.) Packaged items must pass a drop test consisting of the following: Packaged items must be dropped five consecutive times from a height of 90 cm onto a concrete surface, once on the top, bottom, longest side, bottom corner, and longest bottom edge, without breakage or damage.

    • Items should not move or shake within the container and should pass a vigorous shaking test without breakage of the items.

    • Outer boxes containing glass, ceramic, breakable and/or fragile items should be labeled accordingly.

      Protective packaging options:
    • We strongly recommend corrugated dividers or partitions to prevent glass-on-glass contact and prevent breakage.

    • Protective coating on the glass container or bottle.

    • Rounded jars or bottles should be packed in a box or tray with an octagonal design, resulting in a tight package that minimizes movement.

    • The padding on the bottom of the box or tray should be sufficient to protect against wear or damage to the bottom tray during shipping.

      Guía operativa WFS 8.png

    • Prohibited Products

    • In addition to the items listed in the Marketplace Prohibited Products Policy, the following list are products that will not be accepted by WFS.
      This list is not all-inclusive and is subject to change. If you are unsure if your items qualify for the WFS program, please contact the Seller Support team.
      • Temperature-controlled items

        • Food products

        • Medicines and supplements (vitamins, minerals, etc.)

      • Spray: If any item of merchandise contains a compressed gas or propellant (including bag-on-valve and other pressurized designs).

      • Ammunition (including buckshot, BB, air gun pellets, paintballs, slingshot ammunition) or Spray any product used to create ammunition

      • Liquid for zippo lighters

      • Charcoal

      • Car Batteries

      • Chemicals: Includes any item of merchandise containing a liquid, gel, paste, or powder that is not intended for human consumption. However, “Chemicals” also includes the following types of items intended for human consumption, inhalation or absorption: All over-the-counter drugs, including:

        • Tablets, pills, or capsules (e.g., pain relievers, vitamins, supplements);

        • Medical swabs, wipes, bandages, acne medications, and sunscreen;

        • Patches (heated and/or medicated, such as nicotine patches);

        • Liquids (e.g., cough medications, eye drops, ear drops, nasal spray, and inhalers);

        • Medicated shampoos, lotions, ointments and creams;

        • Lip balms, lip creams and petroleum jelly;

        • Contraceptive foam, films and spermicides; and

        • Product/Equipment sold with chemicals (e.g., vaporizers sold with medications), including electronic products.

      • Compressed gas cylinders: butane gas, fire extinguishers, propane gas

      • Bleach

      • Fertilizers

      • Pesticides (any product intended or labeled to kill, repel or mitigate any pest, viruses or bacteria)

      • Paint Thinners

      • Motor oil

      • Pool chemicals

      • Household cleaners

      • Syringes with needles (other types of needles, including empty syringes, sewing needles, cooking needles/syringes, lancets and automotive/tire needles are OK)

      • Dangerous goods regulated by the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations and the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation


      In the article Prepare your goods, we will review the details of preparing goods and the guidelines for cargo delivery at the Distribution Center.

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About Walmart Mexico

Walmart Mexico aims to help our customers save time and money to improve their quality of life, while at the same time creating development opportunities for our associates, suppliers, and the local economy. We offer an integrated shopping experience between physical and digital, always committed to low prices. Walmex represents about 60% of Walmart's international stores, with Mexico having more than 231,000 associates working in over 3,000 stores and clubs. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunities.

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