While Amazon takes the cake as the world’s largest online ecommerce retailer, the Walmart Marketplace is another high-traffic and profitable place to set up shop, with around 120 million unique visitors per month. If you’re an Amazon Prime seller looking for multichannel exposure, Walmart is the best place to start.

We’ll cover what the Walmart Marketplace is, how to set up a Walmart Seller Center account, and give you some tips on how to be successful as a Walmart seller.

What Is the Walmart Marketplace?

Walmart initially created the Marketplace to let qualified brands sell their products without having to sell directly to Walmart themselves, but with ecommerce giants like Amazon expanding their offerings, Walmart decided to adapt. 

In 2021, Walmart took a major step, allowing non-US-based third-party sellers to join the platform and introducing their own version of FBA: Walmart Fulfillment Services (more on this later).

Walmart Seller Account

In order to set up a Walmart Seller Account in the United States, you’ll need the following to complete the Walmart Marketplace application:

• Your Business Tax ID
• W9 or W8 and EIN
• Address(es)
• Your Integration Plan (API, Bulk Upload, Agency/Wholesale Partner)
• Your main product categories, number of SKUs, and UPC info

Once you’ve filled out your Walmart seller application, you can check your application status under the ‘Check your status’ tab. It’s important to note that Walmart is averse to allowing unestablished sellers on their platform, only approving sellers with a “history of marketplace or ecommerce success.”

When you’re approved, you’ll be able to use the Walmart Seller Center login page to access your account.

Walmart Marketplace Fees

Now that you’ve created your account, it’s time to talk about Walmart seller fees. Walmart Marketplace does not charge any monthly fees, instead opting for a referral-based fee structure. Walmart’s cut for individual products ranges from 6% to 20% depending on the category, with most products falling between 8% and 15%. 

For reference, these referral rates are similar to Amazon’s, but Walmart does charge a monthly seller fee or per-item fee. Additionally, Walmart third party sellers do not have to pay any brand gating fees, which can be a large expense for 3P sellers just getting started.

Walmart Ecommerce Store

Setting up your Walmart ecommerce business is simple, especially if you’ve had experience as an Amazon brand or Amazon wholesale seller. In order to upload your listings, you’ll need to use Walmart’s Bulk Upload tool. You also have the option to use an API—and enlist the help of a Walmart seller consultant.

Bulk Upload Tool

Once you’ve logged into Seller Center (commonly called Walmart Seller Central), you’ll choose “Add New Items” and then “Add Items in Bulk.” Then, choose “Select a Category” and download the Spec.

Once you’ve downloaded the Full Item Spec, select your subcategory and fill out the required fields. Once you’ve done that, go back to “Add Items in Bulk” and submit your spreadsheet by dragging and dropping or selecting from your files. Make sure it’s an XLSM file!

Those are the basics—for more, you can download Walmart’s in-depth guide.

Walmart Fulfillment Services

Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) is Walmart’s answer to Fulfillment By Amazon. So, what makes WFS a good option?

• Pricing is based on weight and dimensions only 
• Reasonable monthly storage fees ($0.75 per cubic foot per month)
• Option to store/sell oversized items for an extra fee
• Free two-day shipping for Walmart+ customers
• Low-cost two-day shipping for all other customers

If you sell through WFS, your items will appear higher in the Marketplace SERPs (search engine results pages), leading to increased Buy Box wins and a 50% increase in sales on average, according to Walmart. 

Much like Amazon, with WFS, you’ll ship your inventory to a Walmart Fulfillment Center and they’ll take care of storage, picking, packing, and shipping. WFS also takes care of customer service and returns for sellers.

Maximize Your Sales on Walmart

If you want to become a successful Walmart seller, you’ll need plenty of marketing know-how. Here are a few things you should focus on when crafting your listings:

1. Keyword Research: You have a limited number of characters to capture your customer’s attention. Choose keywords that are highly relevant and have high search volume. Remember to regularly check and update your keywords for relevancy and conversion potential.
2. Photography: Keywords are important for getting your product seen, but your imagery will make or break your customer’s purchase decision. Ensure your images are crisp and of high quality. Find more ecommerce marketing tips, including photography, here.
3. Video: If an image is worth a thousand words, product videos are worth much more, especially if you’re selling lifestyle products—customers want to know how they’ll be using your product in their daily lives. Videos are relatively easy to make, and the ROI is staggering: Among Amazon shoppers, customers who watch listings are 3.6x more likely to buy that product. This data alone is a reason to place videos on Walmart, too.

Looking to Become a Walmart Seller?

If you’re already an established ecommerce seller, Walmart Marketplace should be part of your expansion strategy. Not only does the Marketplace offer many similar services that Amazon does, there are also less sellers on the platform due to Walmart’s strict acceptance criteria—meaning less competition. 

If you’re looking to scale your brand on leading ecommerce marketplaces, let us know.