Walmart Expands Its Advertising and Ecommerce Businesses
Walmart is reportedly using ecommerce, its advertising network, third-party marketplace, and membership services to diversify the structure of its retail revenue.
What are the key facts?
- 1Second quarter of fiscal 2026
- 2Sales growth of 5.9%
- 3Advertising, third-party ecommerce, and membership revenue
What happened?
Citing Walmart’s latest financial report, the report said the company’s sales increased 5.9% in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. As growth in same-store sales at physical locations slowed, Walmart’s ecommerce business continued to play a role, while Walmart Connect’s advertising network and its third-party marketplace also became important parts of the business structure. Membership services represented another source of revenue. The report discussed these businesses alongside Walmart’s traditional retail operations, noting that the company is increasing the contribution of advertising, its ecommerce platform, and membership services. These businesses cover Walmart-operated retail, marketplace sellers, and brand advertising.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Walmart is shifting from being solely a sales channel to an integrated commercial ecosystem combining advertising, memberships, and a third-party marketplace. Sellers need to manage both their products and their platform assets. A common mistake is to focus only on increasing listings without tracking the actual conversions and profit generated by advertising. Top priority this week: break down ad spend, orders, and gross margin by product, and pause campaigns that cannot demonstrate incremental value.