If you have not already seen the official news from Shopify, the eCommerce platform has announced a new partnership with the retail giant Walmart. This partnership means that Walmart’s online store will be a new avenue for Shopify retailers to sell their products. The value of having access to Walmart’s online marketplace could prove invaluable for many Shopify-based eCommerce stores. Find out what the partnership with Walmart means for your Shopify business.
When does this come into effect?
Starting on June 15th, 2020, Shopify stores will be able to apply to have their products featured on Walmart’s online marketplace. Once this application has been approved, businesses will be able to create a Walmart Seller Account that will be connected to their Shopify store. This partnership shows that Walmart is trying to increase the number of businesses that are using its service.
The partnership is a direct shot at Amazon, which promises third-party sellers the ability to reach more than 300 million customers worldwide and even offers help with shipping, returns and customer service by way of Fulfillment by Amazon (Amazon FBA).
What the Partnership with Walmart Means for Your Shopify Business
Walmart’s online marketplace already allows third-party sellers to apply to list their products. Businesses can apply to sell their products through Walmart’s website in a manner similar to the relationship retailers have with Amazon Marketplace. Selling on Walmart has always been relatively easy for businesses, but it requires the investment of a lot of time to upload products and manage both a Marketplace storefront and separate eCommerce store. Luckily, thanks to this new partnership, that problem is about to change for Shopify retailers.
For Shopify retailers and businesses, being approved to join Walmart’s marketplace will mean that they will be able to list an unlimited number of products on Walmart’s site. Much like Amazon’s marketplace, sellers will have to pay Walmart a listing fee, but the ability to reach the retail giant’s massive audience will more than make up for this small charge. This opens up a huge revenue window for Shopify businesses.
Using this new integration also comes with many logistical benefits. All you have to do is add this Walmart Marketplace Integration app to your Shopify store, no complex development work needed. Once the app is installed and Walmart approves your application, Shopify business owners will be able to manage product uploading, order queues, inventory, price sync, shipping, and refunding entirely through their existing Shopify store. Retailers will even have the option to take part in Walmarts two-day shipping program. This makes selling on Walmart infinity less complex for Shopify retailers.
Walmart has often struggled with the fact that many small businesses owners have seen them as a bad guy, offering deals that undercut the prices of their products. With this deal, Walmart is extending a hand and turning sources of competition into new partnerships. In exchange, small businesses will gain access to Walmart’s hundreds of millions of users as potential customers.
If you are currently operating a Shopify Store and your products seem like a potential fit for Walmart’s Marketplace, applying for this integration is a no brainer. If you have products that Walamrt customers might be interested in, now is the time to add the Walmart integration app to your Shopify store and begin your application to list your products.
This new selling option marks the beginning of what is sure to be a great year for Shopify retailers, Walmart, and the Shopify platform as a whole. This is a win-win for both Shopify – Walmart and store owners.