Importance of Third-Party Reselling for Walmart Marketplace
Third-party reselling is a cornerstone of Walmart Marketplace’s business strategy, driving significant sales and growth. In 2023 alone, third-party sellers contributed to over 45% of Walmart’s online sales, translating to billions of dollars in revenue. The efficiency and user experience of the Brand Portal are paramount to maintaining and growing this vital segment.
Identifying Key Issues
Prior to the design of the Brand Portfolio, Walmart’s Brand Portal faced several challenges related to users not having the right content privileges to sell their items:
- Insufficient Content Editing Privileges: Sellers lacked the necessary permissions to edit and update their product content, hindering their ability to keep listings accurate and appealing.
- Inability to Manage Product Listings: Without a Brand Portfolio, third-party sellers struggled to effectively manage their product listings, resulting in outdated or incorrect information.
- Restricted Access to Marketing Tools: Users did not have access to essential marketing tools and content, limiting their ability to promote their products and reach potential customers.
- Difficulty in Assigning Content Roles: The absence of a robust user management system meant that roles related to content creation and management could not be properly assigned, causing inefficiencies.
- Limited Control Over Brand Presentation: Sellers could not control how their brands were presented on the platform, leading to inconsistent and less effective brand messaging.
- No Hierarchical Content Permissions: There were no hierarchical permissions to grant different levels of content access, causing confusion and potential errors in content management.
- Competitive Disadvantage: Compared to competitors like Amazon, Walmart’s brand portal lacked advanced features and user-centric design.
Design Goals and Objectives
Based on the research and identified key issues, the goals for the design of the Brand Portfolio were clear:
- Simple User Interface: Create a clean, intuitive interface that users can navigate effortlessly to manage users.
- Enhance User Management: Introduce advanced tools that allow sellers to easily manage and update their seller privileges.
- Improve Access Control: Develop robust access control features to ensure users have the appropriate privileges for their roles, enhancing their product listings.
- Outperform Competitors: Implement innovative user management and privilege features that set Walmart’s brand portal apart from competitors.
Competitor Research
To ensure Walmart Marketplace’s Brand Portfolio would surpass competitors, I conducted extensive research on leading platforms, focusing on Amazon’s Brand Registry CMS. Key areas of focus included:
- User Flow and Navigation: Analyzed how Amazon structured their user flow and navigation to create a seamless experience.
- Feature Set: Identified advanced features that provided added value to users, such as automated content updates, comprehensive analytics, and enhanced access control.
- User Management and Privileges: Examined how user roles and privileges were assigned and managed to ensure secure and efficient access control.
UX Flows and Design Ideation
Using Figma, I translated my initial sketches and explorations into low/mid fidelity designs, drawing inspiration from existing designs within Walmart’s ecosystem. Leveraging brainstorming sessions and collaborative sketching exercises, I iteratively refined concepts that aligned with the project goals and design system standards. These designs were then presented to my design team and leadership for feedback and review, facilitating a dialogue around potential improvements and refinements.
Design Hand-off
Constant collaboration with my engineering team facilitated a seamless transition from design to development.
Clear documentation and communication streamlined the implementation process, ensuring fidelity to the intended design vision.
Value Added
The successful redesign of Walmart Marketplace’s Brand Portfolio stands as a testament to the power of user-centric design and innovative thinking. This project not only enhanced the user experience but also drove significant business growth and user satisfaction, reinforcing Walmart’s competitive edge in the marketplace.
In developing Walmart Marketplace’s Brand Portfolio, my goal was to deliver exceptional value to users. If approximately 5.7 million more brand products were maintained by Brand Owners or Authorized Resellers, Walmart Marketplace could see a $50 million increase in GMV by FY25 due to improved content and online listing quality.