Would you believe it if we told you the countdown to the holiday season is already on? It’s true—according to Vericast, 44% of consumers plan to start their 2024 holiday shopping in October or earlier. That means we’re weeks away from the beginning of the holiday rush.
Since shoppers are getting started earlier than ever, the summer months are crucial for laying the groundwork for the busiest season of the year.
We’re here to support you, so we put together a guide that can help you achieve your holiday goals at Walmart Marketplace. Here are 10 steps you can take now to get in top shape for the holidays.
1 Optimize your listings
Standing out among a sea of options is a must throughout the year. However, it’s especially important during the holidays. That’s why we recommend taking a fresh look at your Marketplace listings and making sure they’re as compelling as possible.
Luckily, you can always check your Listing Quality score either at the catalog or item level. If there are actions you can take to boost visibility and performance, insights will be readily available.
2 Level up your catalog
Another way to stand out is to ensure that you offer the products shoppers are looking for. This might mean expanding your catalog to include more in-demand items. If you’re unsure where to begin, lean on the Assortment Growth dashboard for support.
This helpful tool provides personalized, data-driven suggestions for growing your catalog. It will show you the most-searched, best-selling items across categories you sell in. You can also use Assortment Explorer to view in-demand items in categories you may not already sell in.
Expand your reach, get insights on market trends, find out how to win the Buy Box, and more. Suggestions are updated every few days!
3 Drive more traffic to your listings
Make sure your listings capture the attention of shoppers on and off Walmart.com this holiday season. We have the tools to support you as you try to gain as much market share as possible.
First, capitalize on the slew of shoppers across our various channels, including Walmart’s site, app, and third-party websites, by using Sponsored Search with Walmart Connect. Businesses of all sizes can use Walmart Connect to reach their target customers and maximize conversion. Don’t forget, our Small Business Hub provides step-by-step guidance to make launching ad campaigns easy, even for first-time advertisers!
Next, continue building your audience with search engine marketing (SEM), available directly in Seller Center. Use this tool to promote your listings through Google Shopping Ads and reach customers searching for products like yours as gifts.
SEM is perfect for:
- Growing sales even more for successful products
- Driving traffic for products that don’t have a high search volume
- Kick-starting your performance when you’re first selling on Walmart.com
4 Save time by automating your efforts
Time is money, especially when you’re up against the holiday clock, so we created a tool that takes the guesswork out of optimizing your listings—GenAI content suggestions. You can save time and drive more visibility to your listings by implementing AI-generated suggestions for Product Title, Site Description, and Key Features.
GenAI may also help you:
- Improve SEO performance.
- Increase your Listing Quality score.
- Boost your position in search results.
- Elevate the customer experience.
- Grow conversion.
5 Offer competitive pricing
According to Salesforce research, to win new business in 2024, “it comes down to price.” In fact, most consumers say saving money is their top priority. So, it’s essential to optimize your pricing to drive sales. The good news is, Walmart Marketplace offers many helpful pricing solutions to set you up for success even when you have limited time to spare.
We know that monitoring and adjusting your pricing can be time consuming, so we created Repricer, a powerful tool that simplifies the process. Repricer allows you to enable automatic price adjustments for your items. Using the rules you set, Repricer automatically adjusts prices based on triggers such as the winning Buy Box offers or external site prices.
Here’s how it works:
- First, you define your strategy.
- Then select items and set their pricing thresholds.
- Repricer will manage the price of those items depending on your strategy.
Offering competitive pricing can help you win customers, and Repricer makes it easy. Sellers who used Repricer to optimize their pricing saw up to a 50% increase in Buy Box wins and up to a 60% increase in GMV.*
6 Participate in Deals
If growing your conversion is on your holiday wish list, we recommend participating in Deals. Offering limited-time promotions—including Flash Deals, Seasonal Events, and Holiday Events—is a great way to create a sense of urgency. Plus, we recently streamlined the Deals dashboard, so it’s a snap to use. You can now view, enroll in, and monitor your Deals in one convenient hub. Like we mentioned, most holiday shoppers are looking for the best price, and by enrolling in Deals you can help turn those browsers into buyers.
7 Enhance your shipping strategy
Holiday shoppers want fast shipping more than usual, so having strong shipping and fulfilment systems can make a big difference in your sales. Walmart Marketplace offers solutions for every seller, regardless of business need. Whether you tap into one of the world’s largest supply chains with Walmart Fulfillment Services or prefer to fulfill and ship your own orders, you can boost customer satisfaction and your bottom line.
- Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) stores, packs, and ships any amount of inventory you choose. You simply send your inventory to our fulfillment centers, and we take care of the rest, including returns.
OR
- You can simplify your self-fulfilled shipping efforts with shipping templates. Automate your shipping settings to help increase your on-time delivery and conversion rates.
- Want to get a leg up on the competition this holiday season? Offer fast, free shipping. Our OneDay, TwoDay, and ThreeDay delivery programs can increase your visibility and grow your sales.
- Use Ship with Walmart to cut costs by purchasing discounted shipping labels directly in Seller Center or via API. Not to mention, you can also save time by purchasing labels in bulk. Plus, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your shipments and on-time delivery rates are covered by insurance.
8 Streamline returns
Free and easy returns are especially appealing to consumers during the holidays, when inevitably some gifts are returned. Most shoppers consider their return options before they place an order, and a smooth return experience is a key factor in customer satisfaction. Marketplace sellers and their customers can take advantage of Enhanced Returns. Returns are made easy with Walmart’s omnichannel presence—offer free in-store returns to Walmart as well as free online returns. You can also improve customer satisfaction and cost-efficiency by offering Keep it, Partial Keep it, and Replacement options.
9 Seize growth opportunities
Can your business benefit from a funding boost ahead of the busy holiday season? If so, take advantage of working capital solutions! From Walmart Marketplace Capital offerings to external third-party options, we have you covered. Whether you need some extra cash or could use financing for inventory, fulfillment, and marketing, capital can help. Plus, eligible sellers can request capital offers or take advantage of Capital for WFS. We also offer several third-party financing options. No matter which option you choose, now is the perfect time to use capital to build momentum for the holidays.
10 Become a pro
Since holiday shoppers have a lot of options, we want to help you show them why they should buy from you. Becoming a Walmart Pro Seller can make your listings stand out and shine bright. As a Pro Seller, your listings will show up sooner in search results, and you’ll get a badge that lets customers know you consistently provide a great shopping experience. This can help build customers’ confidence in your business, boosting your conversion.
The holiday season is the most important time of the year for Marketplace sellers. And now is the ideal time to set up systems that can help your business thrive during the holidays. We encourage you to plan ahead and use the helpful steps in this guide to set your business up for holiday success!
*Walmart first-party data, October 2022–May 2023.
