Walmart has announced a new wave of online marketplace upgrades as it looks to grow third-party sales and strengthen its appeal to sellers.
Sales on Walmart Marketplace rose 17% in its fiscal Q2 2026, according to the retailer’s latest earnings report. To build on that momentum, Walmart is adding faster fulfillment, in-store visibility and new AI-powered tools for its third-party sellers.
The retailer outlined the upgrades Aug. 26 at its annual Walmart Marketplace Seller Summit, spotlighting expanded next-day delivery, targeted fee cuts and a smart assistant for sellers. Walmart said it shaped the initiatives through seller feedback. They are designed to help merchants grow faster, operate more efficiently and reach more customers in the U.S. and abroad, it said.
“Walmart has become one of the fastest-growing ecommerce platforms by focusing on what matters most: integrity, seller success and delivering exceptional experiences for customers,” said Manish Joneja, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services, in a prepared statement. “Everything we’re building — from smarter tools to expanded fulfillment and global reach — is designed to accelerate seller growth and empower sellers to serve customers while driving their businesses forward.”
Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales.
Walmart is also No. 8 in the Global Online Marketplaces. That database ranks the top such marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (GMV).
Walmart Marketplace’s reach into stores
One of the most notable changes centers on Walmart’s stores. The retailer said it will begin showcasing marketplace items in physical locations, “blending the digital and physical shopping experience.” This is done via QR-code displays that direct shoppers to expanded assortments online.
Walmart has been testing the approach at its new Cypress, Texas, supercenter, which opened in April as what it called its first “store of the future.” The location features digital shelf labels, allowing customers to scan items, browse additional options online, request delivery through the Walmart app or schedule installation services.
The company said it’s now “bringing the extended Marketplace aisle into stores, starting with a few items on display.” Walmart did not disclose which stores will feature the new aisles or when the rollout could expand.
Joneja told Modern Retail the added in-store visibility will not come with a charge to sellers. He said Walmart chooses which marketplace items to highlight in collaboration with first-party merchants.
Walmart claims around 270 million customers visit its 10,750 stores weekly, a level of traffic that could extend marketplace visibility far beyond online channels.
Next-day delivery for marketplace orders
Alongside in-store visibility, Walmart is making moves in fulfillment to speed up delivery for sellers and shoppers alike.
The retailer said Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), its logistics network, now offers next-day delivery in major U.S. metros, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta.
This comes as use of Walmart Fulfillment Services continues to grow. Speaking on Walmart’s fiscal Q2 earnings call, chief financial officer John David Rainey said sales from the online marketplace increased 17%, in part because more third-party sellers are using the service. About 44% of marketplace volume now flows through Walmart Fulfillment Services, up 250 basis points from a year earlier, he said.
Walmart also pointed to cost advantages. Orders fulfilled through the service run about 15% cheaper per item compared with competing providers, based on the company’s internal data for the year ended June 30, 2025. Marketplace sellers using its fulfillment saw, on average, a 50% lift in gross merchandise value (GMV) on items tagged Walmart Fulfilled and 2-Day Shipping during the same period, Walmart said.
Sellers can also extend the service beyond Walmart’s site. Through multichannel solutions, merchants can use Walmart Fulfillment Services to handle orders from their own websites, social media shops, and other marketplaces, such as Amazon, eBay, Shein, and Temu, according to Walmart’s website. Sellers using WFS can also broaden their reach internationally, with access to customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Chile, it said.
Enhanced tools for Walmart Marketplace sellers
Beyond fulfillment, Walmart said it’s adding new AI-powered tools for sellers.
For example, a new AI-powered listing tool lets sellers set up single or bulk items more quickly, which Walmart says can improve conversion rates. The company is also introducing a smart assistant that provides real-time support to sellers around the clock.
Other additions include a new seller advisors program. This connects merchants across categories and regions directly with Walmart leaders to share feedback and shape programs.
Sellers that ship their own products will also gain access to new automated shipping settings, allowing them to customize delivery promises by region. Meanwhile, an upgraded brand portal is designed to help merchants protect intellectual property and flag fraudulent listings, Walmart said.
The retailer is also debuting new fee incentives, which it says will help merchants compete during the peak shopping season and land more business:
- 0% referral fee on all qualifying toys
- 50% reduction on qualifying pet supplies
- Up to 100% referral fee reductions on top-selling items across categories
Referral fees are the commission Walmart charges sellers per transaction, typically ranging from 6% to 15% depending on the category.
Seller growth
The new tools come as Walmart’s marketplace is expanding at its fastest pace yet.
Walmart’s marketplace crossed 200,000 active sellers for the first time in 2025, according to recent data from Marketplace Pulse. In the first five months alone, the platform added 44,000 new merchants, nearly matching the 59,000 added throughout all of 2024. That marks a 30% jump in seller count early in the year. At this rate, Walmart could add more than 100,000 sellers by year-end, almost doubling its growth from 2024.
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