Walmart and Amazon Cross Fulfillment: How to Make the Most of This New Opportunity

In an exciting new development for multichannel sellers, Walmart has officially updated its policies to allow the use of Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) for Walmart orders. This significant change opens up new logistics opportunities for sellers, especially those managing both Amazon and Walmart storefronts. But, as with any policy change, there are important guidelines and rules to follow to ensure compliance and to fully capitalize on this flexibility.

Here, we’ll break down how Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and Walmart cross-fulfillment work, what you need to do to stay compliant, and the strategies that will help you optimize your multi channel fulfillment.

What Is Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and How Does It Work with Walmart Orders?

Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) allows sellers to use Amazon’s warehouses and fulfillment network to fulfill orders on non-Amazon platforms like Walmart, eBay, or Shopify. This means that you can now use Amazon’s storage and shipping services to fulfill your Walmart orders, saving you the hassle of managing multiple fulfillment channels.

However, with this new cross-fulfillment opportunity, Amazon and Walmart have set specific rules to ensure seamless integration and compliance.

What You Need to Know: Key Rules for Cross Fulfillment

While this new policy creates an exciting opportunity for sellers, it also comes with clear requirements. Here’s what you need to follow to stay compliant and take full advantage of cross-fulfillment between Amazon and Walmart:

What’s Allowed

1. Use of Amazon MCF for Walmart Orders
   You can now ship Walmart orders using Amazon’s fulfillment network, leveraging Amazon’s warehouses and shipping capabilities to streamline your order fulfillment.
2. Plain, Neutral Packaging
   When shipping Walmart orders through Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF), you must use plain packaging. No Amazon-branded boxes are allowed. This ensures that Walmart customers receive their orders in neutral packaging and doesn’t interfere with Walmart’s branding.
3. Use Unbranded Carriers
   To comply with Walmart’s requirements, you must block Amazon Logistics (e.g., Amazon delivery systems) and ensure that your orders are shipped using unbranded carriers like USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

 

What’s Still Not Allowed

1. No Competitor-Branded Boxes
   Do not use competitor-branded boxes (like Walmart-branded boxes) for shipments fulfilled through Amazon. Only neutral packaging is allowed.
2. No Promotional Materials
   Amazon’s policy prohibits including promotional materials like Amazon invoices or promo flyers inside Walmart orders. Walmart customers should not receive anything that could give the impression that the product was fulfilled by Amazon.
3. Retail Arbitrage
   Retail arbitrage—buying products from other retailers and directly shipping them to customers—is still prohibited. Only products that you source and store in Amazon’s fulfillment network can be used for Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) cross-fulfillment.
4. Marking Items as Shipped Prematurely
   Make sure that you don’t mark orders as shipped before they leave Amazon’s warehouse. Proper tracking and order status updates are essential for keeping your Walmart account in good standing.

How to Optimize Your Workflow with Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and Walmart Cross-Fulfillment

Now that Amazon has cleared the way for cross-fulfillment, it’s time to implement a streamlined, efficient fulfillment process. Here’s how to make the most of this opportunity:

1. Set Up Plain Packaging and Block Amazon Logistics in Seller Central

To get started, you’ll need to make some adjustments in your Amazon Seller Central account:

• When placing Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) orders for Walmart, select “Plain Packaging” as your packaging option.
• Block Amazon Logistics as the carrier. Instead, select unbranded carriers such as USPS, UPS, or FedEx.

This is a key step to maintain compliance with Walmart’s requirements.

2. Use Tools to Automate the Process

If you’re fulfilling orders across multiple channels, it can get complicated quickly. To make this process easier, use automation tools like GeekSeller. These tools can help you:

• Automatically sync orders between Amazon and Walmart.
• Block Amazon Logistics and use unbranded carriers automatically.
• Streamline the Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) process for multiple platforms.

Automation tools can significantly reduce the manual work required to manage cross-platform fulfillment.

3. Watch Your Costs and Adjust Your Pricing Strategy

It’s essential to keep an eye on the cost of fulfillment through Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF). Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) fees are about 5% higher than FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon), so ensure that your pricing accounts for the additional fulfillment cost.

• Review your profit margins and adjust your prices accordingly to maintain profitability while staying competitive.

4. Leverage Both Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)

One of the greatest advantages of cross-fulfillment is the ability to use both Amazon MCF and Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS). Here’s how you can combine both systems to optimize your fulfillment strategy:

• Use Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) to fulfill Walmart orders efficiently and scale your business.
• Use WFS for Amazon FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) orders to provide a seamless experience for your customers across multiple platforms.

By using both, you can maximize efficiency, reduce complexity, and maintain competitive shipping times and costs.

Why This Matters: The Opportunity for Multichannel Sellers

This cross-fulfillment update is a game-changer for multichannel sellers. It gives you the flexibility to use Amazon’s extensive fulfillment network for your Walmart orders, and vice versa. This leads to:

• More efficient operations: With one centralized fulfillment process, you can streamline your entire order fulfillment system.
• Cost savings: Use Amazon’s vast warehouses to store and ship products for both Amazon and Walmart orders, cutting costs related to shipping and handling.
• Increased scalability: Multichannel sellers can easily expand their reach across platforms without needing to create separate fulfillment systems.

How Big Internet Ecommerce Can Help You Navigate Cross-Fulfillment

At Big Internet Ecommerce, we specialize in helping sellers optimize their fulfillment strategies for Amazon, Walmart, and other platforms. Here’s how we can help you:

• Set up your cross-fulfillment workflow between Amazon and Walmart, ensuring compliance with all guidelines.
• Audit your pricing strategy to accommodate higher Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) fees and ensure profitability across platforms.
• Automate your processes using tools like GeekSeller, saving you time and effort while ensuring seamless integration between Walmart and Amazon.
• Maintain your seller account health by ensuring you’re compliant with Walmart’s new fulfillment guidelines and timely shipments.

Maximize Efficiency with Cross-Fulfillment

The new ability to use Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) for Walmart orders offers significant opportunities for multichannel sellers. By streamlining your fulfillment operations, using plain packaging, and ensuring compliance with both platforms, you can optimize your workflow, reduce costs, and scale your business more efficiently.

It’s time to take advantage of cross-fulfillment and create a seamless fulfillment system for your Amazon and Walmart orders.

Ready to optimize your cross-fulfillment strategy?
At Big Internet Ecommerce, we specialize in helping sellers navigate cross-fulfillment opportunities to ensure compliance, reduce costs, and grow their business. Book a free consultation today to get started!

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