The Lessons From Get On The Shelf

Walmart Labs is a division / subsidiary of Walmart.  The mission of Walmart Labs is simple:  Fix the Innovators Dilemna within the company.

After struggling for quite some time, it appears Walmart Labs is beginning to hit their stride.  They are churning out ideas fast and furious.  Some will work, and some will not.

One of the more interesting ideas to come along is Get On The Shelf.  Walmart held a competition and invited all comers to post their product ideas for consideration.  Winners get the privilege of having Walmart shelf space dedicated to their products.  Walmart shelf space is without question some of the most valuable retail real estate in the world.

I love this idea for several reasons:

• It gives producers the chance to get on the map without having to navigate the Walmart supply chain leviathan.  I can’t imagine what sort of blackmail has to go on to get the ear of a Walmart buyer.
• It put the decision in the hands of it’s customers.
• It is 100% outside the way of doing normal business at Walmart.  Simply, they are trying lots of new things to see what sticks.

Regardless of how one might feel about Walmart as a company, I am really encouraged to see a company this size taking on the challenges of competing in a more nimble fashion.  If they are able to consistently execute on solid ideas within the Labs context, they will be a model for other companies to point to.