By David Wilson, Senior Account Manager, Optimizon
September 2025 saw the Walmart Summit UK bring together executives, partners and sellers to share insights into Walmart’s growth, seller services, and international opportunities. While Amazon remains the primary marketplace for most UK brands expanding into North America, Walmart’s momentum makes it an important channel to watch – and for some, a natural next step in a multi-marketplace strategy.
Designed to help UK brands understand the opportunities Walmart offers across the US, Canada, Mexico and Chile, and how government trade bodies are supporting cross-border growth, the event set out Walmart’s strategy for international expansion and the support available for UK brands ready to take the leap.
Here’s what stood out, and what it could mean for your brand:
Strong Growth Across Markets
Walmart Marketplace has now achieved 13 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth, serving 270 million customers per week across the US, Canada, Mexico and Chile. International growth is particularly encouraging, with both Canada and Mexico showing 20% year-on-year increases.
👉 For UK brands already established on Amazon US, Walmart provides additional reach into new audiences across North America.
Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)
WFS, Walmart’s equivalent to FBA, has emerged as a major growth driver with 50% higher gross merchandise value (GMV) compared to seller-fulfilled orders. The service offers compelling advantages for sellers:
- 1–2 day shipping guaranteed across US metro areas
- Fulfilment fees 15% lower than Amazon’s comparable services
- 200% uplift in conversion rates reported by sellers using WFS
- £55k/$75k cost savings cost savings for new sellers through the program
👉 For brands exploring Walmart, WFS offers a cost-effective way to scale, especially when paired with existing FBA operations.
Advertising with Walmart Connect
Walmart Connect, the platform’s ad offering, is showing impressive returns and effectiveness in customer acquisition:
- 5x average return on ad spend (ROAS)
- 94% of Sponsored Product campaigns driving new-to-brand customers
- Access to Customer Lifetime Value analytics
👉 For marketers, this means Walmart ads aren’t just about conversion, they can be a real engine for new customer acquisition with metrics available to help sellers optimise their strategies.
Customer Experience Standards
Walmart maintains strict requirements for sellers:
- 95% response rate within 24 hours for customer messages
- Review response functionality
- Subscribe & Save programmes to build loyalty
👉 The bar is high, and operational readiness is key before scaling into Walmart.
International Expansion Opportunities
Mexico is emerging as a particularly attractive market, thanks to its major annual shopping event, “Hot Sale” in May – a local equivalent to Black Friday – positioning it as a key opportunity for international sellers expanding beyond the US market.
👉 Brands with regional ambitions should see Mexico and Canada as growth markets in their own right, not just US extensions.
Government Backing
The summit also featured sessions from the UK Department of Business & Trade and the US Department of Commerce, underlining the government-level support for cross-border e-commerce and international sellers.
👉 This backing makes it easier than ever for UK brands to explore opportunities in Walmart’s international markets.
Final Thoughts
Amazon will remain the cornerstone for most UK brands looking to expand internationally. But Walmart’s growth trajectory, competitive fulfilment model, and strong ad performance make it a credible complementary channel.
For brands with established Amazon operations, Walmart could be the next logical step – opening the door to millions of new customers across North America.
💡 Thinking about expanding to Walmart?
We help brands navigate everything from listing optimisation and ad campaigns to fulfilment strategies. Get in touch to explore how Walmart could fit into your marketplace roadmap.
