Third-party Walmart sellers break sales records during holiday promotions

Walmart’s recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events produced the best-selling days ever on Walmart Marketplace.

Walmart is reporting that its Walmart Marketplace digital channel for third-party sellers achieved its two biggest sales days ever on Black Friday (Nov. 24) and Cyber Monday (Nov. 27). On Black Friday, the platform’s peak orders per minute jumped four times its previous high. 

In addition, Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), a fee-based program providing services including storing, picking, packing and shipping, along with the handling of returns and customer service, achieved its four highest volume sales days ever during the discounter’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals events Nov. 8-14 and Nov. 22-27. 

On Black Friday alone, WFS shipped nearly double the number of units than the year prior. 

“Customers and sellers count on Walmart, and we always aim to exceed their expectations.,” said Manish Joneja, senior VP, Walmart Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services. “It’s inspiring to see so many sellers achieve milestones and grow their businesses with us. We’re grateful to the Walmart seller community for continuing to provide customers items they love all season long.

Walmart provides incentives to third-party sellers

Walmart has been steadily expanding and adding new perks to Walmart Marketplace. For example, in January 2023, the retailer launched a limited-time program on Walmart Marketplace called New-Seller Savings, which granted new sellers based in the U.S. up to a 25% commission rate reduction for 90 days when trying Walmart Marketplace’s tools and services.

And in June 2023, the retailer added Austin, Tex.-based e-commerce funding specialist Onramp to Walmart Marketplace. As a result, independent sellers and small retailers on Walmart Marketplace now have access to flexible funding packages designed to help drive scale.

Most recently, Walmart unveiled several new online fulfillment and marketing capabilities it is providing to not only attract new sellers to Walmart Marketplace but to retain existing ones.  

Fulfillment

• Local pickup and delivery: Walmart Marketplace is standing up local pickup and delivery for sellers who have physical stores. Customers can pick up their items directly or have same-day delivery fulfilled through the Walmart last mile delivery network.
• Big and bulky and multibox fulfillment from WFS: Walmart is also providing more fulfillment options for sellers who list big and bulky items, such as canoes or trampolines, by letting sellers use WFS to ship multi-box items like patio sets. These new services mean more items can carry the Fulfilled by Walmart tag. 

Marketing

• Brand Shops and Brand Shelves: With the Brand Shops feature, sellers can create dedicated digital storefronts that allow brands to create their own curated pages. Brand Shelves enable sellers and brands to build shelves to feature curated assortments or try a seasonal collection.
• Virtual Garage: The Virtual Garage feature on the Walmart site and in the Walmart app allows customers to store details about multiple vehicles and also shop Walmart’s full range of auto items, including products from third-party sellers.

Based in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart Inc. operates more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.