Walmart Marketplace – What to Expect in 2019

The world of ecommerce is changing every day. Whereas it may seem that the exponential growth is here to stay, it’s safe to say that making this very assumption isn’t the wise thing to do. However, the one company everyone should watch out for is Walmart. Being the world’s largest retailer, Walmart also owns and operates the second largest ecommerce site, Walmart Marketplace. If you’re someone who has been following the statistics for a while, you will know that the future of the entire industry is pretty much related to the future of Walmart.

Being an online seller, you probably use a multichannel selling software and multichannel listing tools to make your products available on several platforms. Regardless of whether one of those platforms is Walmart or not, read on to find out about some of the predictions one can make about the Walmart Marketplace, especially if you’re looking to join in soon.

Aggravated Growth

If you start using the multichannel ecommerce platform to sell on Walmart this year, you’ll be in for a huge profit. Whereas the Walmart Marketplace was at $123 billion in the third quarter of 2018, it’s expected to grow and reach $126 billion in the third quarter of 2019. This kind of jump in revenue equates to multiplied sales and more customers, which proves that the number of buyers your products will be exposed to is exponential. It’s being estimated that Walmart will have a net sales growth of around 35% by 2020, which means that the sales at Walmart Marketplace are also likely to amplify. Statistics suggest that this growth will continue to aggravate in the years to come. Hence, the decision to start selling at the Walmart Marketplace is definitely a good one.

The Mix of Virtual and Traditional Shopping

As a seller, this is your chance to make use of our multichannel listing tools to make your products available on the Walmart Marketplace, because the platform is surely planning to amp up its technology to bring about newer experience for its customers. One of these experiences include the amalgamation of ecommerce and traditional commerce. Buyers will be able to get a mix of both the experiences, which is seeing the exact items while shopping at the store, as well as shopping online. Whether it will be a blend of ordering online and picking up at the store, or virtual reality assisting online shopping, or both, is for time to tell.

Speedier and More Competent Shipping

One of the best announcements made by the Walmart Marketplace in 2019 was that it’s expanding its list of free two-day shipping items. So, whether you need to get something on an urgent basis or just absolutely have to get that last-minute holiday shopping done, the Walmart Marketplace will be at your rescue. Fortunately, increased list of two-day shipping is not just for the official Walmart items, but for third-party listings as well. This is bound to attract more customers, increasing the views for your items and proliferating the chances of them being bought sooner.

Catering to Global Products and Sales

With ecommerce and modern tradition commerce in general offering various merchandise at affordable prices to customers worldwide, Walmart and Walmart Marketplace, too, is strategizing to cater to international sales and products. Although no official announcements have been made yet, Walmart is definitely looking into it and should implement it soon. Third-party sellers, too, are attempting to market to audiences of every category by showcasing diverse products. Be it giving a new twist to old favourites or discovering a new niche, the Walmart Marketplace is surely on its way to achieving a larger global reach.

Providing In-Store Returns

Returning products is always a hassle, isn’t it? Well, Walmart recently made an announcement that’s bound to make your life so much easier. The new rule states that customers can now return Walmart Marketplace items in-store. Not only will you not have to pay for costly return shipping anymore, you can just simply box the item and return it to a local Walmart store, which will then be shipped back to you or your warehouse by Walmart. This will allow buyers to try out new products without fearing commitment. However, if you’re sure of the quality of your products, you won’t have to worry about too many returns. The fact that this and the extended two-day shipping are due to be available towards the end of this year, are factors that will increase the traffic on the Walmart Marketplace for the months to come.

Conclusion

For those of you aiming to promote your store on a bigger platform, 2019 is the year to start selling your items on the Walmart Marketplace. Utilise the tools at our disposal, such as multichannel inventory control software and the like, to become a seller on the Walmart Marketplace and take advantage of all the various advancements it’s set to bring in in 2019.