Walmart held its “Let's Grow! Seller Summit” in San Francisco this week, where it announced a slew of new opportunities for sellers on its marketplace platform. One of the high-profile announcements was that Walmart will allow sellers to list second-hand goods, including used watches and trading card collectibles. Bloomberg (paid) reported that the move comes as “the retailer seeks to further solidify its e-commerce business and capture more spending from rivals such as eBay Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.”
It's no coincidence that luxury watches and trading cards are two of eBay's top priorities in what it calls “focus categories.” The company said Walmart Marketplace has delivered 30% sales growth each year over the past four quarters, making it a key contributor to its “sustained e-commerce success.” In an announcement this week, Walmart described “Resell at Walmart” and “Collectibles” as follows:
“Resale at Walmartis the first digital destination to feature pre-owned goods across categories and conditions from performance-managed sellers. The integrated assortment of 5 million items from more than 1,700 sellers offers customers the value Walmart offers, from luxury fashion and electronics to collectibles, sporting goods and more. By extending the life of these products, Resold at Walmart aligns with the company's commitment to make more sustainable choices an everyday choice and builds on the success of Walmart Restored, a collection of refurbished electronics and small appliances powered by Walmart Marketplace.
“Collectibles: Walmart is enhancing the collector experience, giving customers new ways to secure highly sought-after collectibles and connecting sellers to Walmart's rapidly growing shopping mall. In Collector Shop, sellers can now enable pre-orders to build customer anticipation for drops, including Walmart-exclusive releases. The experience adds pre-owned terms to collectible items resold on Walmart. Qualifying sellers can earn 0% commission on collectible items, including action figures, dolls, trading cards, sports memorabilia, comic books, records, musical instruments and more, through October 31.
Tuesday's announcement quoted Tom Ward, chief e-commerce officer, Walmart U.S., as saying, “At Walmart, we are executing on our strategic priorities to be our customers' first choice for every product, every day, every season, and Walmart Marketplace is a critical component of that mission. We know the importance of a personalized and seamless omnichannel experience, and Walmart is continually evolving our digital and fulfillment capabilities that enhance the overall customer and merchant experience on Walmart.com, including the new categories and features we announced today.”
Walmart previewed Walmart Local Finds with “pickup and delivery directly from merchants' brick-and-mortar stores” and announced new tools for merchants, including:
- The revamped Global Seller Center and new app will enable seamless onboarding for eligible sellers in every market, enabling them to expand globally across borders by selling in the U.S., Mexico, Chile and Canada. Sellers who participate in Let's Grow! 2024 will have first access to new cross-listing features and free translations.
- Walmart will waive peak season storage fees for merchants who receive inventory at WFS fulfillment centers by Sept. 30. Merchants are encouraged to send inventory as soon as possible to meet customer demand for holiday bargain shopping and Walmart events.
- To help sellers grow their holiday business, Walmart Marketplace Capital is expanding to provide qualified sellers with access to cash advances, with up to $5 million available to qualified sellers.
- Walmart is currently rolling out a new sales dashboard that allows merchants to easily register their products for Walmart's popular sales events. This feature gives merchants more data and insights to improve the quality of their offers and provide more deals to customers during the holiday season.
Read the full announcement on Walmart.com.