Walmart moves into fulfillment services
Walmart just released "WFS" or Walmart Fulfillment Services.. I reviewed the seller help documentation and have a few call-outs.
Benefits include "Fulfilled by WMT" tag and the "2 Day Shipping" guarantee tag for each.
Items fulfilled by WMT are eligible for the omni-channel returns program. This can be the biggest benefit in my mind. Marketplace returns can be such a hassle. And raising the bar on marketplace status at Walmart, will help consumers feel more comfortable with it.
The signup process is gated. You have to apply and get accepted. Is the tech ready or not ready? One of the things that always impressed me about the Fulfillment by Amazon launch was how self-service they made the whole process.
The fine print seems to only want “well priced inventory”. It’s possible in early stages they will mandate this for promotional items only. In other words you have to do this if you want us to promote your marketplace items in our sale or deals.
That would be disappointing if this is all it is. An application backed by people, and then negotiation means that it will not be material in the short-term unless they are able to get it to scale. This is one I’m watching closely to see how quickly this evolves.
