Target and Walmart Compliance Tracking: Preventing Retail Deductions at Scale

Target and Walmart can change a brands growth trajectory fast. They can also change a brands operations fast, because their compliance rules are strict and their penalties are real. Miss a labeling requirement, ship window, or documentation step and you do not just lose time, you lose money through deductions and chargebacks.

That is why Target and Walmart compliance tracking matters. Tracking turns each retailer requirement into a visible workflow, so compliance is managed before freight leaves the building instead of argued about after a deduction lands.

Why Target and Walmart compliance feels different

Many retailers have standards, but Target and Walmart tend to enforce them with consistency. The rules cover labeling formats, carton and pallet expectations, routing guides, and tight delivery windows, which means small mistakes can create large penalties.

Joel Malmquist, VP of Customer Experience at G10 Fulfillment, describes the pain brands feel when compliance is missed. "Ensuring retail compliance can be involved. Walmart's pretty intense with their labeling rules. Dick's Sporting Goods is the same; if you don't do it right, you get those massive chargebacks."

What compliance tracking should cover for both retailers

Compliance tracking should cover the full chain from PO receipt to shipment release. That includes accurate pick and pack, retailer-specific carton labels, pallet builds when required, routing guide adherence, appointment scheduling, and EDI milestones such as ASNs, because each step can trigger a deduction if it is missed or done incorrectly.

Bryan Wright, CTO and COO of G10 Fulfillment, explains why the system matters. "Our WMS system was written from day one around B2B." When the WMS is built for B2B, retailer rules can be enforced as part of the workflow instead of bolted on later.

Deadlines are not suggestions

Target and Walmart compliance is as much about time as it is about labels. Miss a delivery window and the order may be canceled or penalized even if the product is perfect, which makes timeline visibility just as important as print quality.

Holly Woods, Director of Operations at G10 Fulfillment, describes the reality of hard deadlines. "Target has a deadline for delivery and that's it, no exceptions. They'll just cancel the order."

Visibility prevents chargebacks because it prevents guessing

Many compliance failures happen because the team is guessing. Which label version is required. Which carrier must be used. Which pack list format is acceptable. Compliance tracking replaces guessing with a visible checklist of required steps tied to each PO.

Maureen Milligan, Director of Operations and Projects at G10 Fulfillment, describes what customers often lack before switching providers. "Most of the customers who come to us from another 3PL, their challenges have always been access to their data, order accuracy and efficiency, and basically just meeting the committed requirements." Compliance tracking closes that gap by surfacing the requirements and the status of each step.

Compliance tracking relies on scan-based execution

You cannot prove compliance without proof of work. That proof comes from scan-based workflows that capture each touchpoint, so labels, cartons, and pallet moves are recorded with timestamps instead of being remembered later.

Bryan Wright, CTO and COO of G10 Fulfillment, explains the foundation that supports accurate tracking. "A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point that you touch it." Those scans create the confirmations that compliance tracking depends on.

Tracking should include exception management, not just pass or fail

Real operations have exceptions. A carton is short. A label is damaged. A carrier appointment shifts. Compliance tracking should surface those exceptions early, so the team can correct them before shipment, rather than discovering the problem after the freight is gone.

"They can actually watch those progressions going on," Milligan says. That real-time view matters most when something needs attention.

Shared compliance data changes conversations inside your company

When Target or Walmart issues a deduction, the argument quickly spreads across departments. Sales wants answers, finance wants recovery, and operations wants clarity, but the only useful starting point is shared visibility into what happened.

Matt Bradbury, Director of Sales at G10 Fulfillment, explains why visibility matters. "Transparency and predictability help us build trust." Shared compliance data helps teams align on facts and fix root causes instead of relitigating assumptions.

What Target and Walmart compliance tracking really delivers

Strong compliance tracking reduces chargebacks, protects retail relationships, and keeps B2B revenue predictable. It turns retailer rules into manageable workflows that scale as purchase order volume grows.

For growing brands, Target and Walmart compliance tracking is not a luxury. It is the foundation of profitable retail expansion.

The next step is simple. If Target or Walmart compliance is creating deductions, delays, or stress, share your current routing guide requirements and your biggest recurring chargeback reason, and we will show you how tracking and workflow controls can reduce the chaos.