When it comes to preparing for the holidays on Walmart Marketplace, you can lean on tools designed to help you succeed. Whether you have your tried-and-true solutions or you’re trying something new, you can take your seasonal strategy to the next level. Be sure not to miss a beat with this handy checklist!
Optimize your listings & maximize your potential this holiday season
’Tis the season to shine bright—your listings should be no exception.
Sleigh the season on Walmart.com with personalized optimization recommendations from our Listing Quality Dashboard.
Join other sellers seeing:
- 74% lift in GMV on average1
- 60% increase in orders and product visibility on average1
Need a seasonal refresh? Complete our Seller Academy learning track about Catalog Optimization.
- Optimize your titles, descriptions, and images to rank highly in search results.
- Help shoppers make confident purchase decisions.
- Save time updating content by selecting the Bulk Attribute Editor button.
- Monitor your Pro Seller Badge (PSB) status—it refreshes on the 5th and 20th of each month.
Earn the PSB on your items by November 15 and maintain through December 15 for increased momentum during the peak shopping period.
Don’t miss out—Pro Sellers experienced a 63% improved conversion rate2 in comparison to other non-eligible Marketplace sellers this year.
Streamline your shipping operations & deliver a cheerful experience
You have options—holiday gifts can be fulfilled, shipped, and received with ease.
Once your catalog is polished and ready for the holidays, check fulfillment, returns and customer service off your list with Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS).
- Replenish your WFS inventory frequently and take advantage of waived peak season storage fees.
- Key items fulfilled by WFS see a 50% lift in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) on average3.
Need a seasonal refresh? Take our WFS and Shipping & Fulfillment Seller Academy learning tracks for additional guidance.
Ship with WFS
- Fulfill your larger, longer, and heavier items—up to 500 lb.—with WFS. Learn more and calculate your pricing today.
- Ship items packaged in multiple boxes such as furniture, home goods, and more with WFS.
- Leverage WFS Prep Services to streamline inventory prep with item labeling and poly-bagging capabilities.
- Keep tabs on your performance with real-time data in Seller Center.
- Utilize Biz Mentor to get suggestions tailored to your business for restocking inventory and converting items from seller fulfilled to WFS.
Ship by yourself using our help
- Explore self-fulfillment options like Ship with Walmart for low-cost shipping labels available in Seller Center.
- Take advantage of Automated Shipping Settings to optimize your delivery promises.
- Leverage expedited delivery options like TwoDay and ThreeDay delivery.
- You can now apply for OneDay delivery under the Shipping Templates (ONEDAY) tab in Seller Center.
Return to the 2023 Holiday Hub for shipping cut-off dates.
Grow your catalog & offer best-selling products that make the perfect gifts
Make the most of holiday traffic—diversify your assortment and maintain inventory levels.
Grow your business and gain a competitive edge during the holidays by adding best-selling items to your catalog.
Utilize the Assortment Growth Dashboard to add items to your catalog that can:
- Sell up to 2x faster4
- Drive up to 3x more page views5
Need a seasonal refresh? Complete our Assortment Growth Seller Academy learning track to learn more.
- When you use the Assortment Growth Dashboard, keep only the recommendations you want and save time with bulk downloads.
- Return to your dashboard every few days to check for a new set of suggestions.
- Keep tabs on inventory levels, especially for best-selling items. Visit the Unpublished Items Dashboard frequently.
- If you need extra support achieving your growth goals, see if you qualify for any Walmart Marketplace Capital offers.
Master your pricing strategy & stand out with the best deals
Your items can fit into holiday budgets—showcased by strikethrough pricing and promo flags
Keep prices low so meaningful celebrations are within reach.
After all, 81% of Walmart shoppers6 said low prices are the top reason they planned to shop at Walmart for the holidays.
Need a seasonal refresh? Take our Item Price Management Seller Academy learning track for more insight.
- Start optimizing your pricing strategy today to attract early holiday shoppers and remain competitive throughout the season.
- Use comparison price data, now available in Seller Center, to help you determine strikethrough and discounted pricing more efficiently.
- Ensure the promo price is at least 10% less than the current list price to receive strikethrough pricing.
- Use Repricer, our automated pricing tool, to close the gap between competitors’ prices and yours to drive more sales.
- Visit Seller Help to learn more about promotion rules, including more about Was Price and List Price.
Take your strategy a step further and leverage Repricer to automate strikethrough pricing.
Advertise your products & connect with customers in a meaningful way
Give your catalog that extra boost for the holidays with new advertising capabilities
Now that your Marketplace presence is holiday ready, Sponsored Search and new capabilities can take your performance to the next level.
- Sponsored Search outperformed all previous holiday seasons in 2022.
- Join the 76% of top Walmart sellers7 advertising with Walmart Connect.
- Promote your top-selling items with Sponsored Products ads.
- Use the Keyword and Item Keyword Reports from your Sponsored Products Performance Dashboard to identify the keywords that perform best.
- Drive holiday inspiration with Sponsored Video, now available to brand-registered advertisers.
- Coming soon: Brush up on your skills and complete the Walmart Connect Academy Ad Certification.
- Download our 2023 Holiday Customer Insights Guide for more valuable insight.
Eligible sellers can use Walmart’s Self-Serve Marketing portal in Seller Center to invest in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and promote their products in Google search results through Shopping Ads.
Prioritize customer service & stay on the nice list
More shoppers can mean more questions and inquiries—be prepared with these tips
Make an impression by staying true to the spirit of the season and meet your customers where they’re at with the support they need.
Now is a great time to brush up on our Marketplace Seller Customer Care Requirements.
- Provide excellent customer service within 48 hours (including weekends).
- Acknowledge and empathize with the customer’s issue.
- Use pre-written templates in Message Center to quickly respond.
- Double check grammar and spelling.
- Monitor the Message Center frequently.
- Keep your information up to date in Seller Center to help customers and Walmart reach you when needed.
Elevate your post-purchase experience & delight customers even after the holidays
A great returns experience reminds customers why they shop with you year-round
From October 1 through December 31, 2023, all items purchased in-store or online can be returned until January 31, 2024—excluding wireless phones, Walmart protection plans, AppleCare, precious metals, and select luxury items.
You don’t need to lift a finger, as the return window will be automatically updated!
- Include packing slips with all your items to streamline returns.
- Keep It Rules can now be added for customer returns initiated in Walmart stores. Enable Return Rules and Keep It Rules in Seller Center.
- Most Marketplace orders shipped through WFS are included in our Free & Easy Returns program.
- Review Post-Purchase Quality insights via the Listing Quality Dashboard to help you optimize based on the experience of your customers.
Visit the Holiday Hub & stay up to date on all things holiday at Walmart
Everything you need from key dates to supplemental resources—all in one place
MARKETPLACE HOLIDAY HUB
Your go-to source to maximizing the holiday season on Walmart.com.
- Mark down notable dates to help you plan ahead with ease.
- Watch virtual event recordings packed with insights.
- Find weekly reminders to help sustain your success.
Sources:
1. Walmart first-party data. 30-day pre/post analysis based on sellers using editing offers from Seller Center OLQ page, May–June 2023 timeframe.
2. Walmart first-party data, 2023.
3. Walmart first-party data, March 2023.
4. Walmart first-party data, February 2022–January 2023.
5. Walmart first-party data, February 2022–January 2023.
6. Walmart first-party data, May 2023, “Holidays 2023 Seasonal Survey,” Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate.
7. Walmart first-party data, February 2022–January 2023.
**Conditions apply: Peak season is 10/1–12/31. Peak season storage fees are $1.50 above regular pricing for units stored more than 30 days. Storage costs will automatically be adjusted for the duration of the promotion. Walmart reserves the right to modify, cancel, or terminate this offer at any time without notice.
