Amazon commands roughly 38% of US ecommerce. Walmart.com — combining Walmart's marketplace with its own first-party inventory — has grown to approximately 6–7% of US ecommerce, making it the second-largest ecommerce destination in the US ahead of eBay and Target. Walmart's online growth rate has consistently outpaced Amazon's in percentage terms.
Walmart brings a unique asset to its marketplace: its physical retail footprint. Walmart.com shoppers have high trust in the Walmart brand built over decades of in-store experience. Many buy from Walmart.com specifically because they trust Walmart's price-matching reputation and return policies. This brand trust translates to higher buyer confidence for marketplace sellers.
| Fee type | Walmart Marketplace | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly seller fee | None | $39.99/month |
| Referral fee | 6–15% (category-dependent) | 8–15% |
| Fulfilment fee (WFS) | ~$3.45–$6.90/unit | ~$3.22–$9.73/unit (FBA) |
| Storage fee | ~$0.75/cubic foot/month | $0.87–$2.40/cubic foot/month |
Walmart's referral fees are generally 1–2 percentage points lower than Amazon's in equivalent categories. The absence of a monthly seller fee ($39.99 on Amazon) saves sellers $480/year. WFS storage fees are also lower than FBA, making Walmart better for slower-moving inventory.
This is Walmart Marketplace's most underrated advantage. For most product categories, Walmart has significantly fewer sellers competing for the same buyer search. A category with 200+ sellers on Amazon may have 15–20 on Walmart. This lower competition makes page 1 rankings achievable much faster with less PPC investment.
Walmart's advertising platform (Walmart Connect) is less sophisticated than Amazon's but also less competitive — CPCs (cost-per-click) are typically 30–60% lower than equivalent Amazon search terms. For sellers willing to invest modest budgets in Walmart Sponsored Products, rapid page 1 ranking is achievable in most categories within 30–60 days.
WFS (Walmart Fulfilment Services) is Walmart's equivalent of FBA. You send inventory to Walmart's fulfilment centres; Walmart handles pick, pack, ship, and customer service. WFS items get the "2-Day Free Shipping" badge — Walmart's equivalent of the Prime badge — which significantly improves conversion rates versus self-fulfilled listings.
WFS fees are competitive with FBA and generally slightly lower for standard-size items. The key difference: WFS has stricter receiving requirements and less geographic distribution than Amazon's 110+ US fulfilment centres. WFS coverage is improving but still narrower than FBA.
Self-fulfilled listings without 2-day shipping capability are significantly disadvantaged in Walmart's search algorithm. If you plan to sell on Walmart, WFS or a high-speed 3PL with Walmart integration is strongly recommended.
Walmart's application process is selective: - US business entity required (LLC or corporation). International sellers need a US entity. - US returns address required — Walmart buyers expect US return processing. - Clean business history — Walmart reviews your Amazon/eBay seller metrics during application. - Product compliance — Walmart has its own prohibited products list and quality standards.
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Try Sellable free →Application approval typically takes 2–4 weeks. Approval rates for established Amazon sellers with good metrics are high.
For established Amazon sellers with proven products, US business entities, and good seller metrics: Walmart Marketplace is the most logical and lowest-effort expansion channel available. Your existing product photography, listing copy, and pricing intelligence transfers directly. Competition is lower. Fees are slightly lower. The incremental revenue (20–40% of Amazon volume is a common outcome for migrated sellers) requires minimal incremental operational investment.
For new sellers without marketplace history: start on Amazon to build track record and metrics, then apply to Walmart once you have 90+ days of positive selling history.
Go to marketplace.walmart.com and click "Request to Sell." Provide your US business entity information, EIN/tax ID, business address, and ecommerce history. Walmart reviews applications manually. Approval typically takes 2–4 weeks. Having existing marketplace selling history (Amazon, eBay) significantly improves approval odds.
Yes, and this is the standard strategy for multichannel sellers. Use a multichannel listing tool (Linnworks, Sellbrite, ChannelAdvisor) to list across both platforms from a single dashboard and sync inventory in real time. Price on Walmart equal to or lower than Amazon — Walmart's algorithm checks prices against other channels and may suppress listings it considers overpriced relative to market.
Yes. Walmart Connect offers Sponsored Products ads that appear in search results and on product pages. The system is less sophisticated than Amazon's advertising console — fewer targeting options, less granular reporting — but CPCs are meaningfully lower. Most sellers run simple keyword-targeted campaigns and see good ROAS due to lower competition.
Home goods, grocery, health and wellness, electronics accessories, and pet products perform strongly on Walmart. Categories with strong Walmart brand recognition (grocery, household supplies) see high buyer trust. Luxury goods and highly competitive commodity categories are harder to win on Walmart.
WFS is the easiest path to the 2-Day shipping badge, which has a dramatic positive effect on conversion rates. If your 3PL can guarantee 1–2 day delivery to most US zip codes and integrate with Walmart's shipping API, it may offer comparable economics. Most sellers use WFS for Walmart simply because the 2-Day badge qualification process with third-party 3PLs is complex.
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