Marketplaces 2018: Jet.com

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FlubitContinuing our Marketplaces 2018 series, today we look at Jet.com. To find a full list of marketplaces we’ve written about already, visit our Marketplaces 2018 page here.

Marketplaces 2018 is produced in association with Flubit.com, the largest UK owned marketplace to sell your inventory on.


Web address: Jet.com

Marketplace Overview

Jet.com started out as a retailer and marketplace and was acquired by Walmart in 2016 for $3.3 billion.

As we wrote recently, Jet.com has recently undergone something of a revamp and rebranding. But there is a question as to where that leaves the company. The Walmart-owned retailer and marketplace says that it seeks to “rehumanise ecommerce” and make shopping more than simply transactional:

I think we’ve been indoctrinated over the last 10 years that e-commerce is a very transactional experience. We know that a lot of people shop for enjoyment, inspiration, and discovery and with the new site, we’re putting that customer centricity back into the experience.
– Simon Belsham, president, Jet.com

The focus of the recent developments is on shoppers and increasing the number of goods available, especially with big brands including Nike. And also offering faster shipping on orders. Swifter shipping will also be available and free shipping is offered on orders above $35.

Seller registration and requirements

To get registered, you’ll need to apply and be approved. The product criteria they take a look at are here. Here’s what they want but be warned because applications may be slow:

Our mission is to showcase a thoughtfully curated selection of brands for our urban customer, so we’re looking for partners who share in our passion and uphold our standards for quality products and experiences. Think we’re a good match? Please apply! Please note that we’re making some updates to our partner application process and may be slow to review submissions in the meantime.
– Jet.com

Product listings and fulfilment

You can get your inventory live on Jet.com via either the API or using one of the numerous third-party providers that can connect you, including ChannelAdvisor.

Don’t forget that Jet.com is a retailer in its own right and is, therefore, a competitor. Additionally, Walmart is the biggest retailer in the world so represents stiff competition.

Tamebay’s take on Jet.com

When Jet was launched by Marc Lore it had a clear role and position in the ecommerce world. The premise was simple: you could buy goods for very competitive prices, the more you bought the less things cost and shipping was inexpensive (or free) but it wasn’t swift. There was a belief that people would wait if it meant savings. And that’s an idea that still has merit, but Jet.com has diverted from its founding concepts. And that represents a bit of a problem. What is it for?

Since Walmart acquired Jet.com it hasn’t been entirely clear what it wants to do with the marketplace. It has enormous potential but a greater clarity of purpose will help. Maybe it doesn’t want smaller third party (3P) merchants, in the longer term, at all.

2 Responses

  1. The only justification for this 4% “fine” is to make money for Ebay.

    We’ve got the same phoney 0.1% peer rate in our collectables category.

    Having had several years now, Ebay management (Wenig) has realised two things:-

    1) They don’t know how to increase sales on Ebay. They’ve tried and failed. Throwing hit and miss “innovations” at the site hasn’t worked. TV ads reminding people Ebay doesn’t just sell “used” items are pathetic. Is that really the best they can do to promote the site ???

    2) To keep revenue growing, they have to make as much money as they can from sellers – fee hikes, “fines”, in-house payments etc etc.

    Rather than deal with problems (which they can’t or won’t), why not make money from them?

    Amazon also have their own inbuilt problems and selling there is no picnic either.

    But one thing you can say.

    Bezos is a winner.

    The future will see Amazon keep growing and Ebay, if it survives at all, will end up being bought out by Bezos, or someone else.

    Ebay is no longer too big to be taken over – we may even see Paypal go past them in revenue in a few years. Better prepare for the fact that Ebay won’t be around for much longer in the form we have known it.

    The hidden Ebay strategy is probably to set the site up for a sell-off, leaving Wenig and Co to walk away with big pay-offs, which they don’t deserve. The process may well have started already. Nobody’s listening to the gobbledeespeak video announcements any more, Devin.

    Sellers should all have lifeboats ready for the day the Ebay ship finally sinks.

  2. It’s a shame they tie this in with having to manage your VAT through their service. I’ve heard a few horror stories (whether true or not, I don’t know), but more importantly when I responded to one of their relentless tide of emails pushing it, wouldn’t confirm that they would accept liabilility in the event of any errors in VAT calculations being down to them or, if our account was suspended for any reason, provide access to the reports to enable us to meet HMRC’s document retention policies.

    The other aspect is that they provide tools to discount sales for B2B customers, but don’t allow us to add a small surcharge to cover the extended credit they force us to offer. I don’t like the idea of hitting private consumers with a price increase just to fund B2B credit !

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