Automated MAP monitoring is a critical function for any Walmart supplier. Walmart suppliers can avoid costly penalties and keep their business relationship with Walmart on good terms by maintaining a vigilant watch on the prices. MAP monitoring is time-consuming and tedious, requiring much manual effort; this is where automation comes in. With automation software from Brand Alignment, you can free up valuable time and resources that can be better spent elsewhere. In this blog, you will learn critical tips and tricks that will help you automate MAP monitoring for Walmart.
What is MAP (Minimun Advertised Price) Monitoring?
MAP refers to the minimum amount or price a retailer can sell a product or advertise as agreed. Automating MAP can increase the efficiency of monitoring other retailers. The manufacturers advise online retailers with legal agreements to maintain the brand position and stay for long in the market. For example, if the Minimum Agreed Price of an item is $50, it is either you sell $50 or more. If the retailers sell below the agreed price, they violate the MAP rules.
Tips and Tricks to Automate MAP Monitoring
As a seller, you are responsible for ensuring that you are always in compliance with the MAP policy; the easiest way is to automate MAP using suitable and automatic MAP monitoring software. Brand Alignment is a one-stop shop for all your automation needs. Automatic MAP monitoring will make you stay in compliance with Walmart’s MAP policy. Below are some tips and tricks to automate MAP monitoring for Walmart.
Tips and Tricks to Automate MAP Monitoring
for Walmart
1. Using Map Monitoring Software to Automate Monitoring for Your Product
MAP monitoring software is a tool that allows you to monitor MAP violations for all your products automatically across all your selling channels, including Walmart. It will send you alerts whenever it detects the price change, for you to take action immediately. The MAP monitoring software offers many other features, such as price tracking history and competitor analysis.
MAP monitoring without an automated tool can be tedious to sell manually on multiple platforms. This tool simplifies everything for you, and you will save time for doing other essential things. Brand alignment is one of the leading providers of MAP monitoring software. You should consider this software from Brand Alignment if you want to monitor your products for any Walmart MAP violations.
2. Set up Alerts So That You Get Notifications for all Your Products
If you sell products on eCommerce sites, keeping your eyes on your competition is essential. Many eCommerce retailers automate these processes by setting up alerts that notify them when their competitors lower their prices. This will allow them to stay competitive by adjusting their prices.
Apart from knowing what they are selling, keeping an eye on their price is also essential. There are various ways to set up price alerts. Some businesses use google sheets or excel to keep track of their competitors’ prices, while others use specialized software tools that include price monitoring features. There are several MAP monitoring tools available on the market. The best are offered by Brand Alignment, which allows you to set up a notification bell that will alert you of any sudden market changes by your competitors.
3. Use the MAP Report to See Which Products Are Not in Compliance with your MAP Policies
Automate MAP monitoring allows you to generate a MAP report that can help you assess the products that are violating MAP agreements. The report uses technology to analyze data to regularly check for MAP compliance and the source of the violation. The information is valuable for the loss prevention team to identify and address MAP violations. With the report, sellers are sure their correct prices are included while advertising their products.
Benefits of Automating MAP Monitoring
Keeping an Eye on Channels
Minimum advertised prices enhance small online businesses to keep an eye on the online store channel. Ecommerce retailers can know when the price of a particular product changes and they will be able to adjust to the competitive business environment.
Small businesses can monitor price differences from other retailers. Manufacturers are sure that the small businesses are not consuming each other but making sure all of them benefit. Retailers will not focus on showrooms; instead, they will concentrate on providing quality services and gaining confidence in revenue predictions and production ability.
Minimum Advertised Price Enforced Products
MAP is a rule that controls e-commerce retailers from violating the terms of the agreement. This agreement stops online retailers from selling beyond the minimum advertised price. You don’t have to break the deal for retailers that resell specific products. Instead, you can use business techniques like free shipping and coupon codes to offer special offers to your customers. Setting this standard helps established companies to sell their products in a conducive business environment.
MAP Has Distinct Advantages
Minimum advertised prices set distinct advantages for retailers. When a consumer searches for a product, a quick search will inform the individual that the products’ prices are the same. MAP eliminates retailers that sell products but don’t offer customer services.
Retailers who sell the products but do not supply the customer services are known as free riders. When the MAP policies force them to sell products at the same price as other retailers, they either start customer service or stop selling the product. This increases customers’ experience while shopping and weeds away such free riders.
Perfect Terms of Delivering the Services
Depending on how you play in e-commerce suppliers, you must deliver quality services and increase the speed of ordering and delivering the product. Minimum advertised prices level the playing field by giving consumers the best experience. Consumers have a wide range of purchasing products since MAP equalizes the prices.
Tips for Enforcing Minimum advertised price (MAP) Walmart
Identifying Key Distributors, Retailers, and Buyers
Identify the most important distributors and retailers in your business. You can review the companies they have and existing contracts to see if their performance is in agreement with the MAP policy. You can then benchmark the distributors and retailers to ensure they do not change their patterns. You can achieve these by using our MAP monitoring software. If there is an increased purchase volume, it indicates that the retailer or the distributor is not acting according to MAP policies. You can then reach them and discuss the violation for avoidance in the future.
Serializing the Product
You can include the serial numbers on your products. This will help you track those distributors and retailers who violate the policy. You can achieve this by testing to buy the product to confirm if they are breaking the MAP policy. You can also reach out to and monitor the retailer who received the product.
Sign up for Walmart Brand Registry
A perfect way to enforce Walmart MAP violations is by signing into Walmart’s brand registry, which allows you to restrict sellers that are not allowed to sell your brand. You can reach out to our experts, who will guide and recommend better software to automate your monitoring.
Reasons for Automating MAP Monitoring for Walmart
With MAP policies, Walmart strives to ensure its prices are the most affordable. An automated monitoring system is used to check the stores’ prices daily and compare them with the competitors. There are many reasons for automating MAP for Walmart, including:
Labor cost: Automating MAP is crucial for sellers who want to reduce the difficulty and time workers spend watching the MAP fluctuations. Monitoring the minimum advertised price is simple and cuts the costs for you.
Increasing efficiency: Machines are more efficient compared to humans. Using tremendous and efficient software from Brand Alignment to automate MAP monitoring is an ideal move.
Reduce the operational costs to monitor prices: Since the monitoring software needs only an internet connection and you are set to go, you will only need one person to operate the software to automate Walmart’s MAP monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can automotive MAP monitoring save time?
MAP monitoring is tedious and requires much time to monitor how other retailers adjust the prices of their products. Still, when you automate your MAP, you will save time, get notifications quickly and adjust your prices with other retailers. Setting MAP notifications will ensure that you are aware of other retailers’ prices without having to spend many hours monitoring MAP violations.
2. How do retailers violate MAP monitoring
When resellers advertise products below the agreed price between the manufacturers and retailers, they are said to violate the minimum publicized rule. The MAP rule states that if you are advertising your products, you must not go below the agreed minimum price but are not limited to raising the price. A good example is when the MAP is $20, you must not sell or advertise your product below $20.
3. What does MAP do for retailers?
It regulates prices. Retailers will have to promote their products without going below the agreed price, which makes all retailers have the same prices. When consumers search for a product, they will find that almost every product has the same price.
4. Can you sell above MAP pricing?
Yes. Minimum advertised prices do not legally bind pricing; sellers can sell products above the agreed price.
Final Thoughts
Automating MAPs (Minimum Advertised Prices) can save you time and money. By using Brand Alignment’s map monitoring software, you can automatically monitor Walmart MAP violations and take immediate action when it happens. This can ensure that you comply with Walmart’s MAP policies to avoid potential penalties. From the many benefits of automating MAP for Walmart, you will improve accuracy, keep track of MAP price changes, and develop perfect strategies and new techniques to attract customers.