Avoid These Common Mistakes When Selling on Walmart Marketplace

Selling on Walmart Marketplace can be a game-changer for eCommerce entrepreneurs looking to expand their reach beyond Amazon or Shopify. With over a decade of experience in eCommerce, I’ve built a successful business selling on multiple platforms, including Walmart. Through this journey, I’ve learned what works and what can seriously hurt your success.

If you want to maximize your sales and avoid costly mistakes, here are some of the most common pitfalls I’ve seen sellers make—and how you can avoid them.

1. Ignoring Walmart’s Unique Seller Requirements

Walmart Marketplace has strict requirements that differ from Amazon and other eCommerce platforms. Many sellers make the mistake of assuming the rules are the same, which can lead to account suspensions or poor performance.

Key areas to focus on:

Price Parity Rule: Walmart requires that your product prices be equal to or lower than on other marketplaces. Failing to comply can result in Walmart delisting your listings.

Fast Shipping Standards: Walmart’s customers expect quick shipping, so offering free two-day shipping can improve your visibility and increase sales.

Strict Performance Metrics: Maintain a low cancellation rate, fast response times to customer inquiries, and a high on-time delivery rate to stay in Walmart’s good graces.

2. Using Amazon Listing Copy Without Optimization

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is copying their Amazon listings directly to Walmart without optimizing them for Walmart’s audience and search algorithm.

How to fix this:

Optimize Titles & Descriptions: Walmart favors clear, concise, and informative product titles. Avoid keyword stuffing.

High-Quality Images: Walmart requires white background images, and additional lifestyle shots can increase conversions.

Unique Bullets & Descriptions: Walmart’s algorithm rewards sellers who write engaging and detailed descriptions tailored for their shoppers.

Moreover, take advantage of Walmart's additional fields for attributes like size, color, and material. These details can help your products appear in more search results and cater to specific customer needs.

3. Not Winning the Buy Box

Unlike Amazon, Walmart’s Buy Box algorithm heavily prioritizes pricing, fulfillment speed, and seller performance. Many sellers lose sales by not optimizing for the Buy Box.

Winning strategies:

Competitive Pricing: Use Walmart’s Repricer tool to adjust pricing dynamically.

Fast Fulfillment: Enroll in Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) to increase your chances of winning the Buy Box.

Maintain a Strong Seller Score: Walmart factors in customer reviews, cancellation rates, and shipping speed when awarding the Buy Box.

4. Ignoring Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)

Many new sellers try to fulfill Walmart orders themselves to save costs, but this can lead to late shipments and poor performance metrics. Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) is a game-changer, offering benefits similar to Amazon FBA.

Why WFS matters:

Higher Buy Box Win Rate: Walmart prioritizes WFS sellers.
2-Day Shipping Eligibility: Faster shipping = more conversions.
Less Hassle: Walmart handles storage, shipping, and customer service.
 

5. Not Leveraging Walmart Sponsored Ads

Many sellers rely solely on organic traffic, but Walmart Sponsored Ads can significantly boost visibility and sales. Unlike Amazon, Walmart’s ad platform is still relatively untapped, meaning lower CPCs and a higher return on investment.

Ad strategies to implement:

Auto & Manual Campaigns: Start with auto campaigns, analyze data, then switch to manual targeting for better control.

Bid on Competitor Keywords: Steal market share by targeting high-performing competitor products.

Use Walmart Performance Ads: Boost product visibility in search results and category pages.

6. Failing to Monitor Reviews and Customer Feedback

Walmart customers rely heavily on reviews. If your products lack reviews or receive negative feedback, sales will suffer.

How to improve this:

Encourage Reviews: Offer excellent customer service and send follow-up emails to encourage positive feedback.
Respond to Negative Reviews: Address issues promptly to show potential buyers you care.
Monitor Seller Metrics: Walmart’s Seller Center provides valuable insights into customer feedback.

7. Not Expanding Product Assortment

Many sellers test Walmart Marketplace with a few products but don’t scale up. Walmart’s algorithm favors sellers who provide a wide range of SKUs and stay active.

Growth tactics:

List More Products: The more quality listings you have, the higher your chances of success.

Bundle Products: Create exclusive bundles that aren’t available on Amazon.

Monitor Trends: Use Walmart analytics tools to find trending products
 

Final Thoughts  

Selling on Walmart Marketplace requires a different approach than selling on Amazon or Shopify. By avoiding these common mistakes, optimizing your listings, and leveraging Walmart’s tools and services, you can build a profitable and sustainable business on the platform.

If you’re serious about succeeding on Walmart but need expert guidance, I’m here to help. Let’s take your Walmart Marketplace sales to the next level!