Walmart recruiting UK Amazon Sellers
Walmart Inc is looking for UK retailers to join its online marketplace as it looks to rival Amazon and EBay.
The US shopping giant confirmed on Monday that British sellers that are approved will be able to sell their goods on Walmart.com, which is visited by more than 120 million people every month.
In a bid to attract sellers, Walmart is offering a two-day shipping service within the US, once the goods are already stored in its warehouses, during non-peak times and access to other services to help them generate sales across the Atlantic.
Walmart then hosted a UK Sellers Summit in London on Friday, inviting manufacturers and exporters from an array of sectors, including fashion, beauty, sporting goods and entertainment.
Thompson and Holt senior case handler Laura Monk says that the news offers an interesting alternative for Amazon Sellers in the UK.
Monk explained: “In the US, Walmart is ranked second behind Amazon in terms of e-commerce market share, so we are talking about a major player entraining the market in the UK. Walmart also has benefits that Amazon does not, most notably a strong physical retail presence.
“In America, their checkout process is extremely straight forward and there are a host of options available in their listing and analytics tools.
“Walmart also has a strict seller criteria that means not just anybody can start selling on their site. While that might be bad news for some, for credible, established and trustworthy businesses it is another positive, because you are operating in a field that customers already have faith in. It also has the further benefit of significantly cutting down competition compared to Amazon.
“With lower costs another positive, it will be fascinating to see how they shape up against Amazon on this side of the Atlantic.
“If you’re looking to expand your online business and diversify this year, it certainly a consideration that Thompson and Holt believes is worth thinking about. Fully research as much as you can about Walmart’s online offering and if you think it’s something that could benefit your business, perhaps start by selling a small sample of your products and see how things develop.”
If you have found yourself suspended while selling on Amazon, contact Thompson and Holt for a free LiveChat to get your Seller business back online as quickly as possible.