Walmart is allowing third-party sellers on its Walmart Marketplace platform to choose from eight additional parcel carriers for seller-fulfilled orders. This gives sellers many more options than in the past, and lines up with the growing popularity of alternative carriers.
While many sellers on the platform still rely on Walmart for logistics, those that prefer to ship orders themselves are sure to love the additional choices at their disposal. This decision is especially helpful ahead of the holidays and should give Walmart sellers more control over their costs, help them avoid capacity constraints, and more.
Walmart Approves More Parcel Carriers for Seller-Fulfilled Orders
Sellers on the Walmart Marketplace platform that ship their own orders now have approval to use an additional eight parcel carriers. The retail giant’s approved carrier list for seller-fulfilled orders now features popular alternative carriers like:
- DoorDash
- UniUni
- OSM Worldwide
- TForce Final Mile
- Gofo
- SwiftX
- SpeedX
- Exelot
On top of these, Metropolitan Warehouse & Delivery is also available for freight deliveries. These carriers join the existing members of Walmart’s approved list, such as OnTrac, DHL, Canada Post, and others. But despite all of these additions and options, Walmart’s top preferred carriers for shipping marketplace orders are USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
But whether you use one of the big three of USPS, UPS, or FedEx, or opt for one of the alternatives, Walmart highlights the importance of using one of its approved carriers when shipping.
In fact, Walmart’s site says that “Shipping a Walmart order using a non-approved carrier is not recommended and may result in suppression, suspension or termination because the tracking information cannot be validated by Walmart,”.
The Growing Interest in Alternative Carriers
While many sellers, both on Walmart and other platforms, still rely on the major carriers, there’s an increase in how many brands are interested in using alternative carriers. These lesser-known carriers are attempting to entice more businesses to use their services by offering competitive rates, using advanced technology, and expanding their coverage areas.
Also, in addition to things attracting sellers to alternative carriers, there are also things driving them away from the big three, such as higher rates, more fees, and the fact that some are cutting back their support on low-margin ecommerce deliveries.
Many Sellers Still Let Walmart Handle the Logistics
However, despite the interest in alternative carriers and handling shipping themselves, plenty of sellers still decide to let Walmart handle the logistics and delivery of their orders. In fact, almost half of Walmart’s marketplace business flowed through Walmart Fulfillment Services, as opposed to sellers working with carriers directly.
However, if you do decide to handle your own shipments on Walmart, or any other platform you sell on, make sure to choose the carrier that makes the most sense for you.
You need to evaluate their total cost structure, not just the base rate, and learn about their delivery speed and reliability. They should also be able to accommodate the types of packages you most frequently ship, cover the regions where you ship, offer great customer service, have a claims process you’re comfortable with, and offer any additional features you may need.
Our Take
The Move Offers Relief Ahead of the Busy Holiday Season
The decision by Walmart comes at a great time for sellers, as it could provide some much-needed relief as the busy holiday season approaches and help them navigate it with fewer issues. Also, with shipping being a common ecommerce pressure point, it’s nice to see Walmart offering more options and flexibility for sellers.
By expanding the list of approved carriers, Walmart is helping sellers mitigate capacity constraints by giving them more choices, as opposed to every seller on the platform being forced to use one of the same few, which could lead to delays due to volume overloads.
The decision also helps sellers control costs, as these volume overloads faced by major carriers often lead to costly holiday surcharges. It also ensures that sellers aren’t entirely at the mercy of the peak-season rates charged by major carriers and are able to choose from a selection of providers with more competitive prices.
