What Does the Walmart Acquisition of Jet.com Mean for Online Merchants?

What Does This Move Do To Online Merchants Looking To Sell More Products?

Jet.com is one of the fastest-growing ecommerce sites on the planet, so it’s pretty remarkable that Walmart (the largest retailer in the world) just acquired it (clearly as a way to expand its own ecommerce footprint).

All initial reports suggest that very little will change between these two entities. Walmart intends to allow Jet.com to continue to run independently from their own regular marketplace. In other words, if you want to sell on both marketplaces, you’ll have to sign up separately for each one.

But this apparent no-change-here-folks approach doesn’t really delve into the bigger picture. In short, if you don’t sell on both marketplaces right now, you really should reconsider your strategy.

Both marketplaces are likely to benefit from this relationship:

• Jet.com will clearly get a boost from all that added exposure associated with the largest retailer in the world
• Walmart will now get to cater to an entirely different audience than it’s used to

The Reasons You Want To Sell With Walmart

Walmart has a huge loyal audience that cuts across all demographic lines. And the phenomenal thing here is that this audience of millions continues to grow!

With tons of repeat customers flocking to Walmart daily, brands benefit from unparalleled exposure. And unlike Amazon, Walmart is still in the beginning stages of its online marketplace endeavor. In 2016, there’s something like 300 third-party retailers, meaning you have far less competition to contend with. This open space allows you the room to forge relationships with customers before other merchants come on board.

Let’s also not forget that Walmart is, well, Walmart. They have the resources to run away from the pack and, with Amazon hot on its heels, Walmart will do close to anything to attract more sellers to its marketplace.

The Reasons You Want To Sell With Jet.Com

Right off the cuff, let’s be frank: Walmart has a “cheap” stigma. This “cheap” label scares some from ever shopping at the Walmart marketplace. But Jet.com has a far more refined reputation. This allows merchants the ability to get their products in front of entirely different types of audiences.

But you can’t also ignore the seller experience of Jet.com, which is part of the reason it’s grown so rapidly:

• You only get charged a commission fee, once your sold items are fulfilled
• Sales taxes are handled for you by Jet
• The selling strategy is simple: the lowest price wins
• Jet allows returns, but their rules are strict (and they sometimes even reward customers for not returning items)

Is It Time To Sell On Both Walmart And Jet?

Selling on Amazon.com is all but a given for most merchants; however, we’ve noticed many sellers remain apprehensive about venturing out toward Walmart or Jet.com. This acquisition should give sellers at least some peace of mind that these marketplaces are a viable investment.

We all know how large – and persistent – Walmart is. Their sights are set on the online marketplace arena, meaning it makes business sense to play ball with the retail giant. And now that Jet has the backing of Walmart, they too are a force to be reckoned with.

Want to find out if selling on both marketplaces makes sense for your business? OperationROI can help. With this upcoming holiday season likely being one of the biggest seasons for ecommerce to date, now is the time to determine where your dollars are best invested.

Contact our marketplace specialists today at 1-888-277-5429, or by filling out our contact form, to learn more about Walmart, Jet, and your upcoming seller strategy.