Walmart leadership is putting the bulk of their efforts into expanding their digital footprint and sellers should follow suit. The retail giant is going through a hefty restructuring which includes an overhaul of their existing Category Specialists, the introduction of Walmart +, and the conversion from Online Grocery Pickup (OGP) to Grocery Pickup and Delivery (GPD). While consumers watch and wonder if the retail giant will catch up to their eCommerce competition, brands can benefit from leaning into Walmart’s objective whether or not their product(s) are currently on shelves. Apart from the exposure to new consumers, vendors will benefit from leaning into this digital strategy as buyers evaluate dotcom presence when making in-store decisions.
There are two routes to market on Walmart.com; 1) “Owned” or 2) “Marketplace”. Products brought in as “Owned” will ship to one of the regional fulfillment centers (FCs) leaving Walmart to own the order processing and logistical component of the business. In order to be ordered as “Owned” inventory the category buyer must agree to bring in the SKUs and suppliers must have or be willing to sign an eCommerce vendor agreement. This process is not unlike the in-store onboarding process. Suppliers who are not accepted as Owned inventory/products and/or those who would prefer to manage their listings, orders, reviews, and assortment can still activate and sell their items on Walmart.com through the marketplace. If the supplier is accepted as a 3rd party vendor after filling out this brief application, the item creation process can begin.
Regardless of the path a vendor chooses to Walmart.com, high quality content will be absolutely necessary to earn a position at the top of the search results. This means optimizing the following 5 key attributes:
Title
Be descriptive- Walmart allows 200 characters, so there is plenty of room to include a couple of important attributes.
Description
Use this space to tell and sell. Tell the brand story and sell the consumer. Convince them they need it and they need it now!
Pro-tip: be sure to include most, if not all, of the words from the title in this description to optimize search results.
Images
The minimum in this space is 2 images but optimized listings contain between 6-8 total images. Be sure to include multiple product angles and lifestyle images. This can feel overwhelming, but do not feel the need to recreate the wheel here. This can be as simple as using marketing materials that have been created for social and digital campaigns.
Pro-tip: use 3 images with the most social engagement and rotate those images each season or based on key selling cycles.
Key words
This space is listed as optional but is strongly recommended. Take some time to evaluate what words are driving traffic to online listings on other platforms.
Attributes/Specifications
This will vary depending on the category the item falls into. Electronics? Include warranty information. Snacks? Include the Nutritionals. These are small details that ultimately can influence a purchase decision.
Specifically, look to do beyond the minimum requirements of each category. By putting in the extra effort and time, vendors will be rewarded with increased visibility by consumers. In addition to content, rankings are also influenced by price, sales velocity, delivery speed, number of reviews, and average rating. Once the items are set and ready to sell, it may make sense to consider investing in Pay Per Click ads with the Walmart Media Group. Some sellers may hire firms to manage all or part of this process.
For any support or additional questions, please reach out to New Nexus Group and we can help successfully guide you on this journey.