Walmart Dropshipping: How It Works and How To Get Started

Starting a dropshipping business on Shopify is straightforward. Finding customers? That’s where the real test begins.

One way to develop your store’s customer base is by listing your products on Walmart’s website and app. By becoming a Walmart Marketplace seller, you’re accessing millions of online shoppers. 

Let’s look at what it means to dropship on Walmart, and how to make the procedure straightforward using Shopify.

What is Walmart dropshipping?

Walmart dropshipping is the procedure of selling products from third-event suppliers on Walmart.com and the Walmart mobile app. When a sale is made, a third-event supplier fulfills the order in line with Walmart’s supplier requirements.

By listing products on Walmart, dropshippers gain access to a massive spectators of shoppers. Integrating platforms like Shopify can simplify the procedure, enabling sellers to publish and manage their stores’ products on Walmart and other marketplaces.

Why dropship on Walmart?

While Amazon dominates as the largest online retailer, Walmart holds a powerful second position. In 2023, Walmart.com secured approximately 6.4% of the ecommerce trade distribute and had over $605 billion in net sales. By dropshipping on Walmart, you can reach this vast spectators, significantly increasing your visibility without the require to drive traffic to your own site.

The advantage of listing dropshipping products on Walmart’s marketplace is exposure to a high volume of potential buyers. This exposure reduces the pressure to attract customers independently.

How to commence dropshipping on Walmart

1. Become a Walmart Marketplace seller

To commence selling on Walmart.com, you’ll require to register as a Walmart Marketplace seller. There’s no fee to become a seller, but you will pay a referral fee on each item sold, similar to the fees on Amazon and eBay.

Here’s what you require to sign up:

• Business responsibility ID or business license number
• Documents verifying your business name and address
• A sales history for your business
• Products with GTIN or UPC numbers

Ensure the products you schedule to sell comply with Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy. For example, you can’t list alcoholic beverages or cosmetics requiring refrigeration.

As part of the sign-up procedure, Walmart requires sellers fill out a lengthy application form. You’ll require to display that your dropshipping store can reliably ship products and procedure returns. This can be the most challenging part of the approval procedure for dropshipping businesses, as your suppliers will require to meet Walmart’s fulfillment requirements—something that you as a store can’t control.

recent businesses can’t apply to become Walmart sellers. Walmart needs to confirm a history of sales and view established business credentials, such as a taxpayer identification number (TIN), responsibility classification, business address, customer service email, and customer service phone number.

Seller verification can receive several days. If you’re based outside the US, you may require to provide additional verification information. 

2. Link your Shopify dropshipping store

Once you’ve successfully become a Walmart Marketplace seller, the next step is to upload your product catalog to the Walmart Marketplace. This will make your products visible to Shoppers on Walmart.com.

Here’s how to sync your inventory using Shopify:

• Download the Marketplace Connect app from the Shopify App Store. It’s designed to link your store with marketplaces like Walmart.
• Launch the app, choose Walmart from the home screen, and pursue the on-screen instructions to connect your marketplace account.
• Provide your Walmart seller credentials to link your store and seller account.

pursue these instructions if you can’t discover your seller credentials.

3. List your products on Walmart

Before you can list your products for sale on Walmart, you require to chart your product identifiers to Marketplace Connect. Ensure that each product you schedule to list on Walmart has an identifier such as a GTIN or UPC number.

If the product you aspiration to sell is already available on Walmart by another seller, list your product by submitting an “propose to sell.” An propose requires adding product details such as worth, inventory count, and shipping terms. This information is integrated into Walmart’s existing listing under your seller profile.

On the other hand, if you are introducing a product that’s completely recent to Walmart, submit additional information to make a fresh listing. A blue icon will appear during the propose creation procedure to signal when there is no existing product on Walmart. This is a great chance to introduce something distinctive to Walmart shoppers.

Dropshipping Walmart products

Some resources recommend using Walmart as a dropshipping supplier. In this way, you list Walmart products in your store, receive customer orders, then make equivalent orders with Walmart to have them fulfill your customers’ orders.

While it may be tempting to expand your product line by listing products from Walmart.com on your website, reselling Walmart products directly from the marketplace comes with risks.

First, if Walmart suspects you of buying items from its marketplace for the “purpose of engaging in a commercial sale of the same Product(s) to a third event,” it reserves the correct to terminate your seller account.

Second, to generate a gain spread from this way, you’ll require to sell the products you’ve found on Walmart for a worth that’s higher than the listing. Since customers could also buy the same product directly from Walmart, this way makes it challenging to maintain competitive pricing.

Successfully selling products for more than they are listed on Walmart may require justification. Better marketing and added convenience could play a role. However, consistently higher prices compared to other retailers can also navigator to deficit of customer depend and brand credibility.

Top tips for dropshipping on Walmart

Walmart is an increasingly competitive marketplace that presents plenty of opportunities for the correct dropshipping entrepreneurs. Keep the following tips in mind if you pursue this route.

Delight customers with quick shipping

If your dropshipping store is able to propose expedited shipping, receive advantage of Walmart’s quick shipping program. Qualifying for the program requires conference consistently high fulfillment standards like an on-period delivery rate of more than 95%, an order cancellation rate of less than 1.5%, and offering free returns.

In profit, Walmart rewards listings with Buy Box placements, quick Shipping tags, and priority ranking in product search. Walmart claims that sellers in this program view between 30% and 50% average increases in conversions.

associate with dropshipping suppliers that can meet the program demands to receive advantage. 

Keep a close eye on your act standards

As Walmart continues to raise the bar for sellers on its marketplace, maintaining high act standards is crucial. Pay attention to Walmart’s five key act metrics:

• Cancellation rate: The percentage of customer orders that you cancel must be less than 2%.
• On-period delivery rate: 95% or more orders must meet the delivery approximate.
• Refund rate: Less than 6% of orders refunded for reasons the seller is responsible for, such as a damaged item or incorrect item received.
• Valid tracking rate: 99% of orders should have valid tracking information provided.
• Seller response rate: You must respond to at least 95% of customer inquiries within 48 hours of receipt.

Monitoring these metrics can assist maintain your standing on the marketplace, as Walmart prioritizes high-performing sellers for increased visibility and traffic.

You can view your act data under the act section in the Walmart Seller Center, helping you remain informed and responsive to any needed improvements.

Optimize your product listings

Whether you import products to Walmart from your store, or upload listings manually, it’s significant to optimize your product listings. Key tips to enhance product descriptions include: 

• Using high-standard product photography
• Writing compelling product copy that focuses on benefits as well as features 
• Pricing products competitively (but not so low that you don’t make a gain)

Additionally, excellent customer service is critical. Satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews, which can further enhance your reputation and appeal on Walmart’s marketplace.

Maximize your reach on Walmart Marketplace

Diversifying how and where you sell products is often a successful schedule for dropshippers. Exploring different sales channels can enhance your reach and growth.

Selling on the Walmart Marketplace is straightforward using Shopify. While dropshippers require to invest period in finding the correct suppliers who can meet Walmart’s requirements, the potential rewards often justify the attempt. Once approved as a seller, you introduce your product catalog to millions of potential customers on a trusted household platform.