Walmart is one of the biggest companies in the world. In fact, is the second-largest retailer in the world, according to the latest study from Forbes. It has over 11.500 stores, sells more than 60 million items on its website, and only last year made over 550 billion US dollars in net sales. And it's an empire that just keeps growing 🚀
As you may imagine, they have multiple businesses, and one of them is the Walmart Marketplace. The Walmart Marketplace is a place where qualified businesses can sell their products, after successfully passing through a selection process where Walmart analyzes the seller's catalog, operations, business information, and more.
Yes, the Walmart Marketplace is a serious platform for dedicated and responsible sellers, not just anyone can offer their products there. So, as a buyer, you can rest assured that the sellers you find there are serious and backed by Walmart, which is a great guarantee.
As a seller, you will be responsible for managing and supporting your orders, including shipping and handling, exchanges, returns, and of course, customer service.
But that's not all, even if you are approved by Walmart to sell in their marketplace, you will have to carefully choose how are you going to do so. Because if you want to sell at Walmart, you have 3 different paths available:
First Party (1P)
Third-Party (3P) or
Drop-Shipping Vendor (DSV)
Let's see how each of them works! 👇🏻👇🏻
First-Party (1P) or Warehouse Supplier Program
In this option, you sell in bulk to Walmart at wholesale prices. Walmart is listed as the seller, and they handle listing optimization, advertising, pricing, and other aspects of the marketplace. Your responsibility is to supply the product to them.
This means you always sell in bulk, and your items are then sold under the very recognizable Walmart name. But you don't get to control the pricing.
Third-Party (3P) Sellers
In this option, on the other hand, you own the products, and you must take care of the listing, brand, pricing, and fulfilling orders. Walmart is only used as a sales channel.
Here, of course, you have a lot of flexibility and can control all of the sales and fulfillment process. You can control prices, which means better profit margins for you. But you don't sell in bulk and you have to invest time in marketing and optimizing your listing. Also, you're responsible for shipping and its costs, and products are not available to be picked up at a Walmart retail location, only delivery.
Drop-Shipping Vendor (DSV)
In this last option, you sell under Walmart's name and listing rules, at wholesale prices, but not in bulk like on the 1P option. You are responsible for fulfilling and shipping.
This means that Walmart uses you as their supplier and manufacturer. You sell products under their recognizable name and with their packing slip, and they take care of the listing, the marketing of products, and also pay for the shipping. Products are available to be delivered or picked up at a Walmart retail location. But, in this option, you can't sell in bulk and the inventory risk is on you so you must make sure you can store products in your own warehouse.
What are the advantages of selling as a DSV?
Walmart credibility: As a DSV seller your products are listed as "Sold by Walmart".
Elite: Is known in the market that DSV sellers must have a proven track record of excellent customer service and top-quality products.
No shipping costs: Walmart covers all charges.
Free shipping: Your products are eligible for this option since it's covered by Walmart.
Ship to store: Your products are also eligible to be picked up at different retail locations, which is a super popular option.
Buy Box: DSV sellers have priority to get the buy box, this means that if other merchants are offering the same product as you, you will get a winning position on the page, increasing your conversions.
If you're interested in applying to become a Walmart Drop-Ship Vendor, bear in mind that the process takes time, and even once you're accepted, there are high expectations to remain in the program.
You can start by creating an account with Walmart here. You will receive instructions on all the requirements you need, but if you want to get ahead of it, the application form will ask you for things like:
Tax ID information
DUNS number
Banking information
Product information
Insurance
Global Location Number
Even if the path to being a Walmart DSV is hard, the results are worth it. It's a great way to expand your business because you will not only reach a gigantic audience but also have your back covered by the Walmart brand, which will give you huge credibility and confidence and will help you boost your growth 💫
If you need more information about any of the Walmart Marketplace programs don't hesitate to visit their website and ask for help!
If you're already a Walmart DSV, have you ever thought about adding personalization options to your products? 💜 You could trust a robust solution like Customily to do so. Check this article to learn how!
Have you worked with Walmart before? How was your experience? Feel free to leave your comments below!
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