If you’ve started your e-commerce journey, you may be wondering if the Walmart Marketplace is the place for you. The answer is likely yes! There is a great deal of promise and first adopters are likely to enjoy the fruits of that decision for years. However, getting approved to sell on Walmart is a process that takes a little time – and it’s helpful to know Walmart favors sellers with a history of prior e-commerce experience.
The Benefits of Selling on Walmart Marketplace
Walmart boasts minimal competition (less than 85,000 sellers) as opposed to Amazon (over 4 million sellers). Walmart stores can be scaled pretty quickly. Revenue typically increases each month since there are no Velocity Limits like on Amazon. However, there are several variables that go into Walmart’s decision on accepting a seller’s application or not.
Top 5 Tips for Getting Approved to Sell on Walmart
- Take a look at the Walmart Application to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you start.
- The application takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. Before you apply, have your company documents organized, a solid selling plan, and method of inventory integration.
- List of Your Company Documents:
– US Business Tax ID. Your Social Security Number is not acceptable.
– W9 or W8 and EIN Verification Letter from the Department of Treasury verifying your US business address
– Do you have an integration process for your product catalog? Make sure you have one. Here’s the guide from Walmart.
– Primary product categories, catalog size and related information (e.g. total SKUs you will be selling on Walmart.com initially with verified UPC information, and used vs. refurbished etc.)
4. Review Walmart’s list of prohibited products.
5. A proven history of marketplace or e-commerce success. Here’s what they look at:
– Age of the business/entity
– Seller ratings on other marketplaces (i.e. on Amazon, ebay, etsy, etc)
– Product assortment
-Quick customer support
– Fast and reliable fulfillment
After you submit your application, the Walmart team reviews the application thoroughly, which typically takes about two weeks. You may then be contacted by a Walmart Business Development Manager or the Walmart Trust & Safety Team, who helps you with their verification process. If you are approved, you will sign their Retailer Agreement and begin the onboarding process, which typically takes another two weeks. Be prepared for the entire process to take about one month. The timeframe could be much less, but it’s best to have realistic expectations and patience after applying.
If you become an approved partner to sell their products on Walmart.com, you’ll reach a growing audience of over 110 million unique visitors each month. With innovative programs and strategic partnerships, Walmart is changing the way the world shops. We hope these tips help set you up for success in getting approved on the Walmart marketplace.
