What Is Walmart Marketplace In 2023? The Complete Seller’s Guide
Walmart Marketplace is an online platform that allows third-party sellers like you to list and sell products on Walmart.com, right alongside Walmart’s own retail products. As an experienced ecommerce seller, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about selling on Walmart Marketplace in 2023.
In this complete guide, you’ll learn:
- What Walmart Marketplace is and how it works
- The benefits and growth opportunities for sellers
- What you can sell and requirements to get started
- How to create and optimize your Marketplace storefront
- Tips to drive sales and promote your products
- How returns and fulfillment work on the marketplace
- And more!
Let’s dive in and explore how you can leverage Walmart’s massive reach to take your ecommerce business to the next level.
An Insider’s Look at Walmart Marketplace
Walmart Marketplace functions as an online shopping mall within Walmart.com, seamlessly integrating third-party seller items alongside Walmart’s own retail products. As a seller, you get access to Walmart’s vast customer base of over 100 million monthly visitors when you list your products on the marketplace.
This provides you instant exposure and the ability to tap into Walmart’s brand trust and loyalty. According to Walmart, the Marketplace is driving significant ecommerce growth for the retail giant and is on pace to surpass first-party sales long-term.
Why Should You Consider Selling on Walmart Marketplace?
Here are some of the biggest benefits you’ll enjoy by becoming a seller on Walmart Marketplace:
Massive reach – Instantly access over 100 million unique Walmart visitors
Higher sales – Walmart customers spent $57 billion on Marketplace in 2021
Brand trust – Consumers trust Walmart’s selection of sellers and products
Turbocharged growth – Ability to rapidly scale your ecommerce business
Lean operations – Walmart handles payments, fulfillment, shipping
Omnichannel sales – Seamless integration with Walmart stores & app
New customer demographics – Exposure to a broad range of shopper types
Clearly, the exposure and sales volume potential are enormous. As long as you meet Walmart’s seller standards, the Marketplace provides a tremendous growth opportunity.
Walmart Marketplace Category Breakdown
Walmart Marketplace features extensive product selection across virtually every category imaginable. Some top categories include:
- Electronics – Computers, cameras, cell phones, smart home
- Home & Kitchen – Furniture, appliances, decor, kitchenware
- Clothing & Accessories – Apparel, shoes, jewelry, handbags
- Toys – Dolls, action figures, games, puzzles
- Sports & Outdoors – Camping, hunting, fitness equipment
- Health – Nutritional supplements, fitness trackers, home medical
- Pet Supplies – Food, beds, leashes, accessories
- Grocery – Packaged food, beverage, snacks
- Automotive – Parts, accessories, tires, tools
- Collectibles – Coins, stamps, trading cards, comic books
You can find both new and used products across these popular verticals. However, Walmart prohibits certain categories like alcohol, prescription medications, and adult items. Always check Walmart’s prohibited products list before listing items for sale.
Walmart Marketplace Seller Requirements and Application Process
To qualify as a seller on Walmart Marketplace, your business must meet the following criteria:
- Have an existing online sales presence with positive reviews
- Commit to maintaining a high sales volume on Marketplace
- Pass Walmart’s seller application and onboarding
According to Walmart, the company rejects more sellers than it accepts to maintain quality standards. The application process includes:
Submitting an online application – Provide details on your business, products, website, and selling experience. Walmart will review this info.
Signing the Marketplace Retailer Agreement – This contract outlines the terms, fees, and policies you must adhere to as a seller.
Onboarding & integration – If accepted, you’ll go through integration steps like product feed uploads, account setup, and training.
Walmart does charge monthly subscription fees and a referral fee on sales of 6-20% depending on product category. The good news is you only pay referral fees on products that sell.
Setting Up Your Walmart Marketplace Storefront
If approved as a seller, you’ll gain access to your own customizable storefront dashboard. This is where you’ll manage product listings, inventory, pricing, orders, and communications with buyers.
Some best practices for optimizing your Walmart Marketplace store include:
Competitive pricing – Monitor competitor pricing and adjust yours accordingly. Undercutting by a few % can help gain sales.
High-quality images – Use professional photography and image guidelines to showcase products.
Detailed listings – Maximize title, description and bullet point fields for each product.
Customer service – Respond to questions and resolve issues promptly to build reputation.
Product ratings & reviews – Proactively ask for reviews from buyers to build social proof.
Promoting Your Products to Walmart Shoppers
Gaining visibility and sales on Walmart Marketplace requires savvy promotion. Here are some top marketing tactics sellers use:
On-page SEO – Optimize listings for keywords so you rank in Marketplace search results.
Walmart ads – Purchase Walmart Sponsored Products to bid on keywords and get visibility.
Off-site ads – Use platforms like Google and Facebook to drive traffic to your listings.
Promotions and sales – Offer periodic discounts or sales to incentivize purchases.
Seller events – Attend in-person Walmart events to network and build brand awareness.
Shipping, Returns, and Fulfillment Options
One major benefit of Walmart Marketplace is the fulfillment options available:
Merchant Fulfilled (MFN) – You handle packaging and shipping items directly to buyers. This gives you control of the customer experience.
Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) – For a fee, WFS handles shipping, packing, returns and customer service. WFS can provide faster and cheaper fulfillment by leveraging Walmart’s supply chain network. However, you do lose some control.
Under Walmart’s policies, customers can return Marketplace items within 30 days on most products. As the seller, you are responsible for issuing refunds. Carefully consider this when choosing fulfillment and return policies.
Should You Join Walmart Marketplace in 2023?
Selling on Walmart Marketplace provides a unique opportunity to tap into the traffic, brand recognition, and capabilities of the world’s largest retailer. If you have an ecommerce business with popular products, Marketplace is worth strong consideration.
By following best practices and leveraging Walmart’s immense reach, you can take your sales to the next level. Just be prepared to meet high standards for seller performance. If you consistently delight customers, you‘ll be well positioned for success on Walmart Marketplace.
