It's certainly no longer a strange sight to see various items missing from the shelves of our favorite stores. Set off by the pandemic, there has been a rise in supply chain issues and product shortages over the past three years. But as it turns out, this may not actually be the reason why you can't find what you're looking for at Walmart. A worker for the retailer recently took to social media to reveal the "hidden truth" about this problem. Read on to find out what they say Walmart shoppers don't know about out-of-stock products.
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Shoppers often complain about out-of-stock products at Walmart.
iStockIf you've ever gone to Walmart to buy something but then found that is is out of stock, you're hardly alone. A quick social media search shows that this is a common problem for shoppers. "Why my Walmart always out of stock of EVERYTHING," one person wrote on Twitter in February. Another user tweeted in March, "I need some oil diffusers. Walmart always out."
Further posts also bring up stocking problems with other items including chips, makeup, cookies, deodorant, and more. Some shoppers blame online trends for making certain products too popular or the retailer for just failing to properly order enough of one item.
But now, one Walmart worker says there may be another reason some things always seem to be out-of-stock.
One worker is revealing the "hidden truth" about this problem.
It seems certain out-of-stock products may not actually be out of stock. On May 11, TikTok user Julacred posted a video to his account @therealjulacred to share insight on this issue as a Walmart worker. "This is the hidden truth that every Walmart employee won't tell you," Julacred wrote in text overlaying the video, which shows him walking through the backroom of a store holding a scanner device from the retailer.
The Walmart worker explained that a customer had requested a 43-inch TCL Roku TV—and the scanner indicated that there were six of in the store's backroom. After finding the right aisle to go down, Julacred pans the video up to show that several of the Roku televisions are indeed in stock but on the top shelf. "That's too high," he said. "So to me, we don't got it. Nope, no TVs."
Other workers claim that they do the same thing.
PJiiiJane / ShutterstockIn just one day, this TikTok video has garnered over 116,500 views with many people chiming in the comment section. Other former and current Walmart workers backed up Julacred's revelation, indicating that they've also claimed certain products were out of stock because they're were too hard to retrieve. "Thought I was the only one who did this," one person replied. Another user responded, "If there were tons of pallets, I'd hit item not found."
"They don't pay me enough anyways," Julacred captioned his post. Best Life has reached out to Walmart about the TikTok video, and we will update this story with their response.
Customers say they expect employees to do their jobs.
ShutterstockJulacred's TikTok video didn't sit well with everyone who watched it, however. Many people took to the comment section to criticize workers who claim products are out of stock even when they aren't. "Just do your job," several users responded. Another person responded, "Bro, just get a ladder. Walmart is paying y'all big bucks and you gonna act like this?"
Some Walmart employees even called out the TikTok user and others for doing this. "I never treated customers like that...I always had a smile and helped the best that I could," one person wrote. Another called Julacred "lazy" and indicated that they were sometimes rewarded for making sure customers got the products they wanted: "When I worked Walmart electronics, I often got tips when I ran it out to the customers care for them. Lazy."
