Expanding to Walmart Marketplace: What Sellers Need to Know
Walmart Marketplace expansion is becoming a priority for eCommerce sellers looking to diversify revenue beyond Amazon. Walmart Marketplace is one of the most compelling options for sellers looking to diversify beyond their own site. As Walmart continues to grow its third-party marketplace, sellers need to understand the operational, technical, and fulfillment implications before making the move.
What Walmart Marketplace Is and Why It Matters
Walmart Marketplace allows third-party sellers to list and sell products alongside Walmart’s own inventory on Walmart.com. For sellers, this means tapping into Walmart’s huge audience and gaining visibility with shoppers who visit the site looking to buy. Unlike some platforms where sellers have to drive traffic themselves, Walmart’s scale helps bring potential customers directly to your products. Successful Walmart Marketplace expansion depends less on product demand and more on how well systems, inventory, and fulfillment are coordinated across channels.
This channel is increasingly attractive because:
- Audience size: Walmart Marketplace attracts millions of monthly visitors, offering broad exposure for your product catalog.
- Brand trust: Many shoppers see Walmart as a trusted destination, which can lower barriers to purchase compared with lesser-known marketplaces.
- Lower competition than some rivals: Walmart Marketplace tends to have fewer third-party sellers than Amazon, which can help new sellers stand out more easily.
However, entry is selective. Walmart vets applicants more strictly than some platforms because it wants a high-quality shopping experience for its customers, which means sellers need to be prepared before applying.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
Before selling on Walmart Marketplace, businesses must meet several eligibility requirements. These are designed to ensure sellers are legitimate, capable of fulfilling orders reliably, and prepared to support customers.
Business and Documentation Criteria
Walmart requires sellers to register as a business entity and provide documentation verifying identity, business name, and address. A U.S. Business Tax ID (EIN) is mandatory.
Supporting documents typically include:
- Business Tax ID (EIN) and verified U.S. business address
- Proof of business legitimacy (license, bank details, etc.)
- Compliance with Walmart’s product and seller policies
These requirements ensure that sellers on Walmart Marketplace operate professionally and meet customer expectations at scale.
Product and Listing Standards
Your product catalog also needs to meet Walmart’s standards. This means products generally must have valid GTIN/UPC codes, comply with all category-specific regulations, and not appear on Walmart’s prohibited items list.
Walmart’s platform is increasingly strict about content quality, too. Clear titles, complete descriptions, and accurate specifications drive better search visibility and conversion — and poor listings can hurt your performance.
Fulfillment and Returns Capability
To maintain a consistent customer experience, Walmart expects sellers to support reliable fulfillment and returns. While some use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), others work with robust third-party logistics providers that can meet Walmart’s delivery and return expectations.
Benefits of Selling on Walmart Marketplace
Selling on Walmart Marketplace can be a strategic growth move for brands that are ready for it.
Reach Millions of Shoppers
Walmart’s eCommerce traffic is substantial: sellers can get exposure to a shopper base that’s difficult to build independently. Many marketplaces, even those with more sellers, do not command the same level of brand-driven trust and traffic.
Competitive Cost Structure
Unlike some platforms that charge monthly fees, Walmart primarily uses a referral fee model, where sellers pay a percentage of each sale. This means upfront costs are low, and profit scales with performance.
Platform Tools and Support
Walmart provides tools for advertising (through Walmart Connect), analytics, fulfillment, and customer support. While not as advanced as some competitors, they give sellers resources to grow visibility and conversion.
Growing Seller Ecosystem
Walmart Marketplace continues to expand; recent data shows thousands of sellers joining each year and strong eCommerce sales growth for the platform overall.
Common Challenges Sellers Should Anticipate
While the opportunity is real, expanding to Walmart Marketplace is not without hurdles.
Approval Process and Standards
Getting approved can take time and requires solid documentation and compliance with Walmart’s eligibility criteria. Incomplete applications or mismatches in documentation can delay approval.
Competitive Environment
Although Walmart Marketplace has fewer sellers than Amazon, it still has significant competition. Price, product quality, and listing optimization are critical to gaining visibility and sales.
Compliance and Policy Updates
Walmart has been tightening enforcement of product policies, especially in categories like beauty and personal care, where they recently removed listings that failed to meet new safety documentation requirements.
Operational and Fulfillment Expectations
Expectations for shipping speed, returns, and customer service are high, and Amazon-level fulfillment performance can be challenging without robust systems in place.
Preparing Your Systems for Walmart Marketplace Expansion
Merely gaining access isn’t enough. Successful sellers tend to follow a strategic playbook:
Optimize Product Listings
Complete, keyword-rich titles and clear descriptions improve search placement and buyer confidence on Walmart Marketplace.
Use Data to Guide Catalog Expansion
Start with a focused catalog and expand based on performance data. Popular SKUs can help you build momentum and inform pricing decisions.
Leverage Advertising and Promotions
Walmart Connect, Walmart’s advertising platform, is becoming a key driver of visibility and conversion. Testing ads early can help products gain traction.
Monitor Performance Metrics Closely
Marketplace performance metrics, from click-through rates to fulfillment speed, influence your overall visibility and seller rating. Monitoring and optimizing these continuously is critical.
SalesWarp Helps Sellers Scale on Walmart Marketplace
SalesWarp helps sellers unify inventory, orders, and fulfillment across marketplaces and sales channels. With centralized visibility and smarter order routing, sellers can comply with Walmart’s requirements without adding any operational strain.
Speak to an Expert to learn more about inventory, orders, and fulfillment across marketplaces!
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