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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — As part of an effort to reduce costs, Walmart will begin charging most of its suppliers fees for stocking their products in its new stores and for storing them in its warehouses.

As part of an effort to reduce costs, Walmart will begin charging most of its suppliers fees for stocking their products in its new stores and for storing them in its warehouses.

The new fees and other charges were detailed in new supplier agreements the retailer began sending out to vendors last month. The amended terms will apply to about 10,000 suppliers to Walmart’s U.S. stores.

The move is intended to bring "consistency to the collection of allowances related to the growth of our business and suppliers’ use of the Walmart supply network," the retailer said in a letter to suppliers, according to a report by the Reuters news agency.

In the past some vendors paid fees while most did not.

The company did not release any details on the new fees to the media. But published reports based on information shared by suppliers suggest that they include a charge equal to 1% of the merchandise value to hold goods in existing warehouses.

In addition, a food supplier reported being asked to pay a fee equal to 10% of the value of merchandise shipped to new stores and new warehouses. Walmart is also reportedly seeking longer payment terms for slower-moving merchandise, allowing it to sell products through before it has to pay for them.

Fees charged to suppliers for getting their products in new stores and warehouses are common in retailing, according to industry experts, but they represent something of a departure from tradition for Walmart.

"Not doing these things has helped Walmart get the lowest cost from vendors historically," a consultant told Reuters. "You can’t increase the cost of doing business and expect to get the best cost."

Walmart has been telling its suppliers for some time that it needs to cut costs and become more efficient and that it will need their help to deliver on its everyday-low cost and everyday-low price strategy.

In a meeting with suppliers in February, for example, Wal­mart urged them to cut back on investments in joint promotions and advertising and to use the savings to lower the cost of their products.

Walmart’s efforts to cut costs come as the company is making investments in its people and its technology, as it strives to boost sales growth. In the first quarter of this fiscal year, Walmart’s posted its third straight quarterly same-store sales increase. But operating expenses in the quarter increased 6.6% compared to the prior-year period.

This was partly attributed to the increases Walmart has made in its starting pay rates and to the company’s ongoing investments in e-commerce and technology.

"Given these investments, along with the reduction in gross profit rate, operating income declined 6.8% or $336 million, for the quarter," Walmart U.S. president and chief executive officer Greg Foran told analysts at the time.

Walmart executives say they are committed to lowering the retailer’s costs while pursuing growth. Doing so is critical to ensuring that Walmart is able to deliver on the everyday-low price promise that is its chief competitive advantage.

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