Walmart Inc.'s efforts to keep imported merchandise flowing to its stores now include a "pop-up" yard near major ports that processes more than 500 shipping containers a day.
Joe Metzger, executive vice president of supply chain operations at Walmart U.S., said in a LinkedIn post that the company rented an empty lot near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., a few weeks ago.
At the temporary facility, workers sort through priority freight for Walmart's downstream operations, Metzger said. This will help the Bentonville-based retailer have plenty of inventory for the Christmas shopping season, he said.
"This pop-up operation has dramatically improved our flow of containers not only out of the port but back into our port terminals with empty containers," he said.
Brett Biggs, Walmart's chief financial officer, told investors in August that the company was monitoring industry trends related to transit and port delays.
"Our merchants continue to take steps to mitigate challenges, including adding extra lead time to orders and chartering vessels specifically for Walmart goods," Biggs said.
Walmart shares dipped $1.67, or 1.2%, to close Thursday at $135.47. In the past year the shares have traded between $152.57 and $126.28.