How to Sell
The Benefits of Selling on Walmart Marketplace and How to Get Started
Walmart's U.S. e-commerce sales surged by 79% in 2021, signifying a robust growth trajectory that has caught the attention of online retailers across the globe. Since launching its online marketplace in 2009, Walmart has expanded its platform significantly, now boasting over 100,000 sellers. This rapid expansion underscores the growing allure of Walmart Marketplace as a viable alternative for sellers seeking to tap into its extensive customer base.
Walmart Marketplace: A Growing Platform
The past couple of years have been transformative for Walmart Marketplace. Between July 2020 and July 2021, the number of sellers on the platform doubled, reaching over 100,000. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the platform's lower competition compared to giants like Amazon and Shopify. With fewer sellers, businesses find it easier to stand out and reach potential customers.
Walmart offers unique advantages to businesses that choose to sell on its marketplace. Sellers gain access to Walmart's massive customer base, which boasts 120 million online monthly active users. This access can significantly enhance a brand's visibility and authority, leveraging Walmart's well-established brand value to boost trust among consumers.
Unique Benefits and Infrastructure
One of the standout features of Walmart Marketplace is its strict seller selection criteria. This ensures a certain level of quality and reliability on the platform, which can attract discerning customers. Furthermore, Walmart Marketplace operates as a low-cost channel for sellers, charging referral fees only upon successful sales. This setup allows businesses to minimize upfront costs and focus on scaling operations.
Sellers on Walmart Marketplace also benefit from access to Walmart's extensive infrastructure. This includes amenities like free two-day shipping, which can be a key differentiator in the competitive e-commerce landscape. Moreover, leveraging Walmart's Fulfillment Services enables sellers to promise expedited delivery to customers across the U.S., enhancing customer satisfaction and driving repeat business.
Steps to Start Selling on Walmart Marketplace
Entering the Walmart Marketplace involves three main steps: approval, registration, and launch. Sellers must first apply and be approved to join the platform, ensuring they meet Walmart's criteria for quality and reliability. Once approved, businesses register on the platform, setting up their product listings and integrating with Walmart's systems. Finally, sellers launch their products, making them available to Walmart's vast online audience.
Walmart's strategic partnership with Adobe further enriches the marketplace experience. This collaboration allows retailers to integrate Walmart's marketplace capabilities with the Adobe Commerce platform, offering additional tools to enhance their operations. Adobe's retail customers can display store pickup eligibility online and provide multiple pickup options, such as curbside and in-store pickup, further expanding their service offerings.
Strategic Partnerships and Future Prospects
The partnership with Adobe is part of Walmart's broader strategy to compete with Amazon for online retail dominance. By making its retail technologies available to other businesses, Walmart is enabling retailers to tap into its sophisticated tools and infrastructure. This move is expected to alleviate some of the challenges sellers face on the platform, such as user interface difficulties.
Sellers using Adobe Commerce can now syndicate and sell products across Walmart's Marketplace, expanding their reach and potential customer base. BigCommerce, another partner of Walmart, has also reported strong growth due to these integrations, with its CEO expressing confidence in the customer uptake of these new tools. As BigCommerce files to go public, the market dynamics in the e-commerce sector continue to evolve rapidly.
Walmart's pursuit of online retail dominance is mirrored by Amazon's innovations, such as its A.I. checkout system. These developments highlight the competitive nature of the e-commerce landscape, pushing each company to innovate continually and offer better solutions for sellers and consumers alike.
As Walmart continues to explore new technologies and partnerships, the potential for growth on its marketplace remains significant. For businesses looking to expand their online presence, the benefits of selling on Walmart Marketplace are compelling, offering a blend of vast reach, brand authority, and logistical support that is hard to ignore.