Is Walmart about to launch a new British invasion? – RetailWire - RetailWire

Jun 14, 2022

by George Anderson

Walmart is looking to bring goods from U.K. exporters to consumers in the U.S.

The retailer has begun what it calls “a major push” to bring these sellers to its online marketplace. Walmart said its recruiting drive is seeking to build on the company’s decades-long engagement, most notably with its 1999 acquisition of Asda. The retailer in 2021 sold most of its stake in the British grocer to the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital.

Walmart has put an onboarding plan in place with a dedicated team to facilitate making the jump across the Atlantic to serve American customers. Walmart says it will give the sellers “the opportunity to get their goods to U.S. customers within two days” in the contiguous U.S., although the option will not be guaranteed between September and January.

“We are confident that U.K. sellers will be able to leverage Britain’s reputation for design and manufacturing excellence and product quality to thrive as Marketplace sellers and bring more choice to our U.S. customers with speed and scale,” Darren Carithers, senior vice president of marketplace development for Walmart International, said in a statement.

UK exporters will have access to Walmart Fulfillment Services and the retailer’s supply chain infrastructure. Third-party sellers will also have the opportunity to access Walmart’s platform tools to optimize processes, identify market opportunities and manage promotions.

Walmart has already recruited some key U.K. companies to its marketplace: STATSports, which makes wearable tech products for people participating in sports; BuyBox, home and garden products and; Nodor, manufacturer of Red Dragon darts and other sporting equipment.

Pertemba, which exports products to 18 countries worldwide, is another British exporter that will sell on walmart.com.

“We’ve been exporting to the world since 2009. Today we sell on around 60 e-commerce marketplaces, big and small,” said Ravi Karia, managing director of Pertemba. “Walmart Marketplace stands out for us for being easy to do business on, bringing us huge exposure and steady sales growth. I’d advise sellers to take advantage of how simple it is to list on the Marketplace to bring their full catalog and to explore Walmart Fulfillment Services.”

Walmart is hosting a U.K. Sellers Summit in London on June 17 to recruit new vendors. Payoneer and Linnworks are hosting the summit with the retailer and offering services to help smooth the cross-border transition.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What is your take on Walmart’s recruitment of UK sellers and its onboarding process? Do you expect Walmart to use its international connections to do something similar in other markets where it does business?

Braintrust

"I believe Walmart will offer the same service to other markets as this is a fantastic offering, opening up the world to U.S. shoppers with a reasonable delivery window."