What to sell on Walmart Marketplace: 8 product ideas

Picture this: 100 million people visit Walmart.com every month, but the marketplace has far fewer sellers competing for their attention compared to Amazon. That’s not just an opportunity—it’s a goldmine waiting for the right products.

Walmart shoppers want value, convenience, and everyday essentials they can trust. Understanding this mindset is your first step toward building a profitable Walmart business.

Walmart’s unique marketplace advantage

Walmart Marketplace gives you access to a massive audience without the cutthroat competition you’ll find elsewhere. 

But the typical Walmart shopper is price-sensitive and value-focused. They’re looking for products that solve real problems without breaking the bank. Interestingly, online Walmart shoppers skew toward Millennials and higher income brackets compared to in-store customers, giving you access to buyers with decent spending power.

The fee structure works in your favor, too:

• Referral fees range from 6-20% depending on the category
• No annual subscription fees
• No product listing fees
• Just pay when you sell

This straightforward pricing means more of your revenue stays in your pocket. Plus, with fewer sellers fighting for the Buy Box, your chances of winning prime placement increase dramatically.

What you CAN sell on Walmart Marketplace

Success on Walmart comes down to matching the right products with customer expectations. The platform thrives on practical, everyday items that people need regularly.

Everyday essentials that consistently perform

1. Health & beauty products dominate Walmart’s bestseller lists for good reason. Personal care items like toothpaste, deodorant, and skincare products are repeat purchases with predictable demand. Vitamins and supplements also perform well, especially basic formulations that don’t require medical claims.

2. Household items represent another goldmine. Think cleaning supplies, storage solutions, and kitchen tools that make daily life easier. These products appeal to Walmart’s practical customer base and offer steady sales throughout the year.

3. Baby care products enjoy strong performance thanks to loyal customer bases and frequent repurchasing. Diapers, feeding supplies, and safe toys consistently rank well. Parents shopping for essentials appreciate Walmart’s competitive pricing and convenient delivery options.

4. Pet care items have exploded in popularity as pet ownership has surged. Food accessories, grooming tools, and pet toys all find eager buyers. Pet owners are willing to spend on their furry friends, making this category particularly profitable.

Growing categories with opportunity

5. DIY tools and home improvement products are gaining traction as more people tackle projects themselves. Basic tools, hardware, and home organization solutions appeal to Walmart’s value-conscious shoppers who want to save money on labor costs.

6. Electronics accessories offer excellent margins with consistent demand. Phone cases, chargers, cables, and screen protectors are lightweight, easy to fulfill, and have broad appeal. These items also pair well with Walmart’s electronics sales.

7. Personal grooming products continue expanding beyond basic health items. Electric razors, grooming kits, and personal care gadgets attract customers looking for convenience and value.

8. Clothing and accessories work best when you focus on basics rather than trendy fashion. Think everyday wear, work clothes, and functional accessories that emphasize comfort and durability over style.

What you CAN’T sell on Walmart Marketplace

Walmart maintains strict policies about what can and cannot be sold on their platform. Understanding these restrictions upfront saves you from costly mistakes and account issues.

Completely prohibited items include:

• Used, vintage, or handmade products
• Art, artifacts, and antiques
• Weapons, explosives, and ammunition
• Baby formula and baby food
• Tobacco, vaping products, and e-cigarettes
• Medical devices and dietary supplements (without pre-approval)
• Hazardous materials and PFAS chemicals
• Offensive, explicit, or politically sensitive content

Categories requiring pre-approval include fragrances, jewelry and precious metals, baby products, medical devices, luxury brands, Halloween items, and software. You must request approval before listing in these categories.

Legal compliance requirements are non-negotiable. All products must follow local, state, and federal regulations. Labels must be in English, though additional languages are allowed. Products cannot be sourced from sanctioned regions like Iran or North Korea, and forced labor in supply chains is strictly prohibited.

Here’s a key difference from other platforms: Walmart prohibits retail arbitrage. You cannot buy products from other retailers and resell them on Walmart Marketplace. This policy protects brand relationships and ensures authentic sourcing.

How to pick winning products for Walmart

Success requires data, not guesswork. The most profitable Walmart sellers use systematic research methods to identify opportunities before committing inventory dollars.

Data-driven research methods

Start with Walmart’s Best Sellers List to understand what’s already working. Google Trends helps you spot growing interest in specific products or categories. These free tools provide valuable baseline data for your research.

Third-party tools like Tactical Arbitrage can scan Walmart for profitable arbitrage opportunities, while ScoutX with DataSpark helps with detailed product research right from product pages. Both tools are included in the Seller 365 bundle, giving you comprehensive research capabilities without managing multiple subscriptions.

Key metrics to evaluate include:

• Average selling price and profit margins
• Listing Quality Score (LQS) ratings
• Number of reviews and average ratings
• Percentage of competitors using Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)
• Sales velocity and historical demand patterns

Calculate your total costs carefully. Factor in the cost of goods sold (COGS), Walmart referral fees, fulfillment expenses, advertising costs, and return processing. Many sellers underestimate these hidden costs and end up with razor-thin margins.

Strategic considerations

Target profit margins of at least 30-40% to leave room for unexpected expenses and market fluctuations. This buffer protects you when competitors drop prices or when costs increase unexpectedly.

Balance evergreen products with seasonal items for steady cash flow throughout the year. Kitchen tools and personal care items sell consistently, while holiday decorations or summer gear can boost revenues during peak seasons.

Choose fulfillment-compatible products that work with your operational capabilities. Lightweight, non-fragile, compact items are ideal for most sellers. Oversized or fragile products require additional planning and often eat into margins through higher shipping costs.

Consider WFS benefits seriously. Walmart Fulfillment Services can boost your search rankings and increase customer trust through faster, more reliable delivery. The investment often pays off through improved Buy Box positioning.

Walmart-specific success factors

Winning on Walmart requires understanding the platform’s unique algorithms and customer expectations. Success factors differ significantly from Amazon’s marketplace dynamics.

Buy Box optimization depends on three key factors: competitive pricing, free or low-cost shipping, and consistent stock availability. Walmart prioritizes these elements when determining which seller gets the coveted Buy Box placement.

Listing optimization follows specific best practices. Use high-resolution images (1500×1500 pixels minimum for zoom functionality), write keyword-optimized titles and descriptions, and include complete product attributes like size, color, and material. Walmart customers expect detailed information before purchasing.

Search algorithm differences matter more than most sellers realize. Walmart weighs pricing competitiveness more heavily than Amazon does, while also considering shipping costs as part of the total customer value proposition. Free shipping isn’t just nice to have—it’s often essential for visibility.

Getting started with Seller 365 tools

Managing Walmart alongside other marketplaces becomes complex quickly. The right tools eliminate operational headaches while protecting your profitability across all channels.

Tactical Arbitrage and ScoutX (mentioned earlier) form the foundation of your product research strategy. These tools help identify profitable opportunities and analyze competition without manual data collection.

FeedbackWhiz Profits tracks your true profitability across Walmart and other marketplaces in real-time. See exactly how much each product contributes to your bottom line after all fees and expenses. Custom expense tracking ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Seller 365 bundles all these tools into one subscription for $69 monthly, eliminating the need to manage multiple software vendors while saving hundreds of dollars compared to buying tools individually.

Common mistakes to avoid

Learning from others’ mistakes saves time, money, and frustration. These pitfalls catch new Walmart sellers repeatedly.

• Assuming Amazon strategies work directly on Walmart is perhaps the biggest mistake. Walmart customers have different priorities, the algorithm works differently, and success factors don’t translate perfectly between platforms.
• Ignoring total cost structure and profit margins leads to businesses that look profitable on paper but lose money in reality. Factor in every expense, including the hidden ones like storage fees and return processing costs.
• Poor listing quality kills conversions even with great products. Low-resolution images, vague descriptions, and missing product attributes drive customers to competitors with better presentations.
• Failing to optimize for Walmart’s price-sensitive customers means missing the core value proposition that drives purchase decisions. Focus on value communication, not just features and benefits.
• Overlooking WFS opportunities can cost you visibility and sales. Many sellers avoid fulfillment services to save costs, but the improved rankings and customer trust often justify the investment.
• Not monitoring performance and adjusting strategies based on real data leads to stagnation. Markets evolve, competition changes, and successful sellers adapt their approach based on results rather than assumptions.

Ready to dominate Walmart Marketplace?

Walmart Marketplace offers a genuine opportunity to build a profitable business with less competition than you’ll find elsewhere. The key lies in understanding the platform’s unique characteristics and choosing products that match customer expectations.

Success comes down to three fundamentals: picking the right products for Walmart’s value-focused customers, optimizing for the platform’s specific success factors, and using the right tools to manage operations efficiently across multiple channels.

Ready to start selling on Walmart alongside Amazon and other marketplaces? Try Seller 365 free for up to 14 days and get all the tools you need to research products, manage inventory, optimize pricing, and track profits across every channel from one integrated platform.