Unlock the Power of Walmart Marketplace with Spark Shipping (Webinar Recap)

Walmart Marketplace presents a significant opportunity for eCommerce sellers aiming to reach a wider audience. 

Our recent webinar with Tyler Jackson from Walmart Marketplace provided insights into why this rapidly growing platform is a game-changer for e-commerce sellers looking to increase their reach and sales.

In this article, we summarize the key takeaways discussed, highlighting how sellers can use Walmart’s extensive network and Spark Shipping’s automation capabilities to drive business growth. 

The Strategic Advantage of Walmart Marketplace 

Walmart’s eCommerce presence is substantial, generating $100 billion in annual sales and reaching 250 million global shoppers weekly. 

With over 4,000 retail locations and 90% of the U.S. population residing within 10 miles of a Walmart store, the marketplace offers eCommerce sellers significant brand visibility. 

In the webinar, Tyler emphasized how Walmart is supported by a technology-driven infrastructure and is committed to seller partnerships. 

He also noted that over the past two years, Walmart’s eCommerce growth has outpaced competitors (including Amazon) making it a great platform for sellers to gain more market share.

Integrating with Walmart offers a direct route to a new customer base and increased sales, complementing existing platforms like Shopify and eBay. 

Streamline Your Marketplace Entry with Spark Shipping

A key highlight of the webinar was the announcement of Spark Shipping’s integrated API with Walmart’s Seller Center, significantly simplifying and accelerating the onboarding process. 

As Tyler noted, “Very few partners have successfully integrated into Walmart’s platform, and Spark Shipping’s seamless automation is a huge win for sellers.”

Spark Shipping enables sellers to: 

• Expedite product listing: Sync extensive product catalogs to Walmart in days, rather than months. 

• Automate core operations: Manage inventory, pricing, and order routing consistently across multiple platforms, such as Shopify, Amazon, and Walmart.
• Optimize fulfillment strategies: Efficiently manage both Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) and seller-fulfilled listings for enhanced business flexibility.

This integration eliminates the manual bottlenecks that often slow sellers down, letting you focus on scaling your business.

How to Get Started on Walmart Marketplace

Tyler walked us through how to join Walmart Marketplace:

1. Create an account: Use Spark Shipping’s exclusive Walmart Seller Sign-Up link to get started. 
2. Set up listings: Add your products with optimized content to maximize visibility.
3. Go live: With Spark Shipping’s automation, you’ll be selling in no time.

New sellers can benefit from dedicated onboarding support for eight to 12 months, providing guidance on UPC exemptions and listing optimization. 

Tyler shared a real-world example of helping a seller with 1 million auto parts in joining Walmart, proving that Spark Shipping can support businesses of all sizes. 

Cost structure and incentive for sellers

Walmart’s cost structure is competitive and framework: 

• Referral fees: Vary from 8-15% per sale, based on product category. For example, 12% for auto parts, 8% for items under $15 in select categories. 

• No platform fees: Walmart does not charge fees for account management or customer service. 
• Limited-time incentives: Up to 75% reduction on referral fees for sellers exceeding $50,000 in annual sales and $2,000 in WFS storage credits. To enhance visibility, enjoy $1,000 in Walmart Connect pay-per-click ad credits. These are valid through January 31st (Walmart’s fiscal year-end). 

Tyler framed these fees as a strategic marketing investment, where costs are directly tied to completed sales, offering predictable expenditure for reaching Walmart’s 150 million monthly visitors. 

The Impact of Walmart’s Fulfillment Services (WFS)

WFS offers a significant advantage for sellers aiming to become more competitive. By utilizing Walmart’s warehousing infrastructure, sellers can access: 

• Expedited shipping: Free two-day shipping, which can improve search rankings and customer trust. 

• Flexible inventory management: Spark Shipping enables seamless integration of WFS with other inventory sources. This allows for strategic testing of products without significant upfront investment.
• Scalable entry: No minimum SKU or unit requirements for WFS, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Tyler recommended a hybrid approach, “Use WFS for your best sellers to get two-day shipping, while listing your broader catalog via distributors to maintain assortment.” 

Spark Shipping’s tools facilitate this strategy by automatically adjusting between WFS and seller-fulfilled listings based on inventory labels. 

How to Optimize Product Listings for Enhanced Performance

A key takeaway from the webinar was the importance of content quality. It’s important to note that listings that score 90%+ in content quality achieve up to 11% higher conversion rates. 

Walmart evaluates content based on:

• Core content (60%): Titles, images, and descriptions adhering to it’s guidelines.
• Metadata (40%): Backend attributes such as keywords that improve search visibility.

Spark Shipping makes this process easy by automating product data integration, ensuring your listings are optimized from day one. 

Additionally, Spark Shipping is beta-testing an AI-powered description tool (available for 499+ accounts) that transforms supplier data into keyword-rich, Walmart-compatible descriptions, saving time and improving search rankings.

Addressing Your Questions

The webinar also included a Q&A session that covered common seller concerns, which we’ve summarized below: 

• UPC exemptions: These are available case-by-case through Walmart’s partner support. Spark Shipping enables settings to handle these exemptions seamlessly.

• Returns: Walmart offers in-store returns for customers, with options to dispose of items or return them to your warehouse. Costs are subsidized but may apply for return-to-sender.

• Buy Box competition: Walmart’s algorithm prioritizes price, shipping speed, and seller performance to determine which seller wins the buy box for shared listings.

• Big and bulky items: Walmart supports large items like bean bags through WFS or third-party logistics, with fees based on size and weight.

Why Now Is The Optimal Time to Engage with Walmart Marketplace

Walmart Marketplace is still in a phase of significant growth, presenting early users with an opportunity to establish a strong presence before competition increases.

Spark Shipping’s integration lowers the barriers to entry, streamlining the process for sellers managing any volume of SKUs.

To begin, sign up for Walmart Marketplace via Spark Shipping’s dedicated link. If you have any queries, contact Tyler at tyler.jackson0@walmart.com or Daniel at daniel@sparkshipping.com. 

Watch the Webinar and Stay Connected 

As mentioned earlier, you can dive deeper into the insights and discussions from the webinar by watching the full recording on our YouTube channel. 

Stay tuned for more updates from Spark Shipping, including the public rollout of our AI description tool and other features designed to supercharge your e-commerce success.