Is It Worth Selling On Wayfair? Vs. Amazon + How To Start [2023]
Is it worth selling on Wayfair?
Let’s dive into the fascinating world of online furniture marketplaces. Whether you’re a seasoned seller or just dipping your toes, we’ve got the scoop on why Wayfair might just be the secret ingredient to your business success.
Get ready to unlock new opportunities!
Contents
Quick Answer
Wayfair provides a reliable logistics platform and innovative insights into consumer demands. Leveraging their cost-effective technology expertise, sellers can maximize product visibility. It’s essential to evaluate strategies for optimal sales growth and success on Wayfair.
A Closer Look…
You’ll learn:
- Large customer base (63 million visitors)
- No fees for setup, selling, or will-pay
- More affordable than Amazon
- Not suitable for all products
- Requires skilled staff for operations
Selling on Wayfair can be a good option for some sellers, but it is important to consider the pros and cons before making a decision. Here are some key points:
Pros
- Wayfair has a huge customer base, with about 63 million unique visitors.
- Wayfair does not charge any fees for setup, selling, or will-pay.
- Wayfair is more affordable than Amazon.
- Home goods sellers have a great chance to boost their sales and visibility through Wayfair.
Cons
- Selling on Wayfair may not be suitable for all products.
- Wayfair’s payment process is less than optimal because they require sellers to manually input credit card information for a remittance order and pay out after 30-60 days.
- Wayfair needs skilled staff to oversee customer service, stock management, returns, and other operational tasks.
- Selling on Wayfair may require extra effort compared to other platforms.
If you’re a seller of home goods and want to boost your sales and visibility, Wayfair might be worth considering. However, it’s crucial to assess your business requirements and capabilities before making the decision to sell on the platform.
Pros & Cons Of Selling On Wayfair
You’ll learn:
- Market reach and exposure
- Brand recognition and trust
- Sales and revenue potential
- High competition
- Limited control
Pros
Selling on Wayfair has several benefits, including market reach and exposure, brand recognition and trust, sales and revenue potential, and logistics and fulfillment. Here are some specific advantages of selling on Wayfair:
Market Reach and Exposure
- Large Customer Base: Wayfair has a huge customer base, with about 63 million unique visitors.
- Global Presence: Wayfair has a massive logistics network that allows sellers to reach customers all over the world.
Brand Recognition and Trust
- Established Reputation: Wayfair has an established reputation as a leading online retailer of home goods.
- Customer Reviews and Ratings: Wayfair allows customers to leave reviews and ratings, which can help build trust in your brand.
Sales and Revenue Potential
- High Volume of Orders: Wayfair’s large customer base and global presence can lead to a high volume of orders for sellers.
- Competitive Pricing and Discounts: Wayfair offers competitive pricing and discounts, which can help increase sales and revenue for sellers.
Logistics and Fulfillment
- Wayfair’s Warehouse Network: Wayfair has a massive logistics network that allows sellers to store their products in Wayfair’s warehouses and take advantage of their shipping and delivery support.
- Shipping and Delivery Support: Wayfair takes care of all shipping expenses, and sellers only have to pay a commission of 2% on sales.
Overall, selling on Wayfair can be a simple and effective way to increase sales and revenue for your business, with reduced competition, no upfront investment, and a large customer base looking for home goods.
Cons
Here are the cons of selling on Wayfair:
- High Competition: Wayfair is a popular online retailer with many sellers, which can make it difficult to stand out and compete.
- Limited Control: As a seller on Wayfair, you have limited control over the customization options for your products.
- Strict Requirements: Wayfair has strict requirements for sellers, which can make it difficult to get started.
- Dependency on Wayfair’s Policies and Guidelines: As a seller on Wayfair, you are dependent on Wayfair’s policies and guidelines, which can limit your independence.
- Handling Returns and Refunds: If you sell on Wayfair, it’s your job to deal with returns and refunds, which can take up a lot of time and money.
- Communication with Customers: To sell on Wayfair, you need to have good customer service skills as communicating with customers can be tough.
Wayfair has some advantages like getting noticed, receiving good reviews, and paying low fees. However, there are some downsides too. There’s a lot of competition, you don’t have much control, and there are strict rules you have to follow. You also depend on Wayfair’s policies and guidelines. It can be tough to handle returns, give refunds, and communicate with customers.
Tips For Selling On Wayfair
You’ll learn:
- Optimizing Product Listings
- Pricing and Promotions
- Inventory Management
- Customer Service and Feedback
If you want to sell things on Wayfair, there are some important tips to help you do well. Here are some key things to think about:
Optimizing Product Listings
- Use high-quality images and descriptions to make your products stand out.
- Effectively categorize and tag your products to make them easy to find.
Pricing and Promotions
- Use competitive pricing strategies to stay competitive.
- Run sales and discounts to attract customers.
Inventory Management
- Forecast demand to ensure you have enough inventory.
- Deal with seasonality by adjusting your inventory accordingly.
Customer Service and Feedback
- Respond to inquiries in a timely manner to keep customers happy.
- Utilize customer feedback to improve your products and services.
If you do what these tips suggest, you have a better chance of doing well when selling on Wayfair. Don’t forget to make sure your business and products follow Wayfair’s Supplier Code of Conduct too.
Alternatives To Selling On Wayfair
You’ll learn:
- Amazon
- eBay
- Build your own e-commerce website
- Sell through brick-and-mortar stores
- Consider pros and cons
If you are looking for alternatives to selling on Wayfair, there are several options available. Here are some e-commerce platforms and methods to consider:
Other E-commerce Platforms
- Amazon: Amazon is a big online store where you can buy lots of different things, like furniture and things to decorate your home. Many people shop there, and you can sell your own stuff too. They have different ways for you to sell, like Amazon Marketplace and Amazon Handmade.
- eBay: eBay is another e-commerce platform that allows you to sell furniture and home decor. It has a large customer base and offers various selling options, such as auctions and fixed-price listings.
Building Your Own E-commerce Website
Another choice you can think about is making your own online store. This means you have full control over your store and brand. But it takes more time, work, and things you need to do to start and keep it running.
Selling Through Brick-and-Mortar Stores
Selling through brick-and-mortar stores is another option to consider. This allows you to reach customers who prefer to shop in person and may not be comfortable buying furniture online. You can approach local furniture stores or home decor boutiques to see if they would be interested in carrying your products.
There are several alternatives to selling on Wayfair, including other e-commerce platforms, building your own e-commerce website, and selling through brick-and-mortar stores. It’s important to consider the pros and cons of each option and choose the one that best fits your business needs and goals.
Seller Tools & Target Audience
You’ll learn:
- Seller dashboard and analytics
- Marketing opportunities
- Home furniture and décor
- Business customers
- Product categories
Wayfair Seller Tools and Support
Wayfair offers several tools and support for its sellers, including a seller dashboard and analytics, marketing and advertising opportunities, and seller education and training.
The marketing and advertising opportunities include Sponsored Products, Wayfair Promotions, and Wayfair Advertising. Sponsored Products is a tool that allows sellers to make any product a best seller by boosting its visibility on Wayfair.
Wayfair Promotions is a way to elevate a seller’s brand in key spots on Wayfair’s sites or in channels like print and social media. Wayfair Advertising is a digital advertising tool that can boost a seller’s products to the top of Wayfair’s browse pages, capture customers anywhere, and create conversion opportunities.
Wayfair also offers seller education and training through webinars, workshops, resources, and guides.
Wayfair’s Target Audience and Product Categories
Wayfair caters to two primary customer groups:
- Individuals searching for home furniture and décor.
- Business customers like interior designers and contractors looking to source products for their projects.
Co-founder Steve Conine has stated that Wayfair’s target customer is a middle-aged woman between the ages of 45 and 55. The company focuses on a vast market of around 43 million households with annual incomes ranging from $60,000 to $175,000.
Wayfair’s typical customer earns a median income of $75,000 and is between the ages of 35 and 65. The company operates under various brands to fulfill demand in different categories, such as:
- Furniture and home décor
- Bedding and bath
- Appliances and kitchenware
Wayfair Seller Requirements & Application Process
You’ll learn:
- Eligibility Criteria
- Application and Approval Steps
- Wayfair’s Onboarding Process
If you’re interested in selling on Wayfair, there are several requirements and steps you need to follow. Here’s what you need to know:
Eligibility Criteria
- Drop shipping potentials: You need to have drop shipping potentials.
- Product liability insurance: You must have product liability insurance that covers a minimum of $1 million for every occurrence and $2 million in general aggregate.
- Qualified personnel: To sell on Wayfair, it’s important to have capable staff who can handle customer service, inventory, returns, and other operational tasks.
Application and Approval Steps
- Register your business: Starting to sell on any platform requires registering your business as the first step. Luckily, Wayfair has simplified the process for you by providing a user-friendly online application form.
- Fill out the application form: The application form contains 3 main parts: contact information, business information, and product information.
- Wait for approval: Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll need to wait for approval from Wayfair.
Wayfair’s Onboarding Process
- Review Wayfair’s requirements: Review Wayfair’s Supplier Code of Conduct or Code of Conduct eLearning resources to learn more about Wayfair’s requirements.
- Set up your inventory and fulfillment: Start with the essentials: inventory and fulfillment. You can either use Wayfair’s prepaid shipping labels or utilize your own shipping labels and bill Wayfair third party for all costs associated with shipment.
- Verify your business: You’ll need your business registration number on hand, along with other legal business information, to verify your business.
- Start selling: Once you’ve completed the onboarding process, you can start selling on Wayfair.
Seller Performance Metrics & Expectations
You’ll learn:
- Prompt Order Fulfillment
- Timely Shipping
- High Seller Ratings
- Responsive to Reviews
- Meet Performance Benchmarks
Wayfair has several performance metrics and expectations for its sellers. These include:
Order Fulfillment and Shipping Timeframes
- Wayfair expects sellers to fulfill orders promptly and ship them within the specified timeframes.
Seller Rating and Reviews
- Wayfair uses seller ratings and reviews to evaluate seller performance. Sellers are expected to maintain high ratings and respond to customer reviews in a timely manner.
Wayfair’s Performance Benchmarks
- Wayfair has several performance benchmarks that it uses to evaluate seller performance. These include average order value, gross profit margin, and customer base.
- Wayfair’s average order value increased from $203 in 2016 to $305 in 2022.
- In 2018, Wayfair’s gross profit margin decreased to 23.3% of sales. This happened because the market they’re in is very competitive and Wayfair was more focused on getting more customers rather than making a higher profit.
- Wayfair processed 6.2 million orders in Q4 2017, up 31% year over year, as average order value rose to $229 from $203.
- Wayfair’s customer base is 22 million in till 2022.
- Wayfair hopes to raise its gross profitability metric to between 25% and 27%.
Overall, Wayfair expects its sellers to provide high-quality products and services to customers and meet the performance benchmarks set by the company.
Challenges & Considerations For International Sellers
You’ll learn:
- Shipping and Customs Regulations
- Currency Conversion
- Language Localization
- International Shipping Domains
- Regulatory Considerations
Expanding your business on Wayfair as an international seller can be challenging. Here are some of the challenges and considerations to keep in mind:
International Shipping and Customs Regulations
Wayfair only ships items within the United States. As an international seller, you will need to consider the shipping and customs regulations of the country you are shipping to. However, they’re expanding and launched some country specific domains to ship internationally:
- Canada: wayfair.ca
- United Kingdom: wayfair.co.uk
- Germany: wayfair.de
Currency Conversion and Exchange Rates
Currency conversion and exchange rates can impact your revenue as an international seller. When the currency of your home country weakens against foreign currencies, the translation of these foreign currency denominated net revenues or expenses will result in a loss.
Language and Localization
Localization is important for adapting your product to a different culture and regulatory framework. For example, nutrition labels that are legally acceptable in one country may require further detailed breakdowns in another. Additionally, customers prefer to buy products with descriptions written in their own language.
Wayfair’s Seller Policies & Guidelines
You’ll learn:
- Product Quality Standards
- Intellectual Property and Copyright Regulations
- Returns and Refunds Policy
Wayfair is a platform for selling furniture and home goods. Here are some of their seller policies and guidelines:
Product Quality Standards
Suppliers who work with Wayfair must follow the laws against forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, and other labor practices. They also need to have the rights to use all images and videos for their products. Wayfair only sells products that are safe and lawful, so suppliers must meet or go beyond all the rules and regulations for their products.
Intellectual Property and Copyright Regulations
For their products, suppliers need to either own or have permission to use all images and videos. Wayfair expects their suppliers to follow all laws regarding intellectual property and copyright.
Returns and Refunds Policy
Wayfair operates on the wholesale cost model, meaning they don’t charge their partners fees or take a cut from their sales like other retailers do. If a customer wants to return a product, Wayfair will ensure that it is picked up from the supplier’s facilities.
Monitoring & Scaling Your Business On Wayfair Tools
You’ll learn:
- Expand product assortment
- Consider pricing and profit margins
- Leverage promotional campaigns
- Be aware of scalability challenges
- Benefit from Wayfair’s improvements and partnership
If you are looking to scale your business on Wayfair, there are several strategies you can consider:
Expanding Product Assortment
Wayfair is known for offering a wide range of home goods products, so expanding your product assortment can help you reach more customers.
Pricing and Profit Margin Strategies
Wayfair has a reputation for offering competitive prices, so it’s important to consider your pricing and profit margin strategies when selling on the platform.
Leveraging Wayfair’s Promotional Campaigns
Wayfair regularly runs promotional campaigns, such as sales and discounts, which can help you increase your sales and visibility on the platform.
It’s worth noting that scaling your business on Wayfair can be challenging, as the platform operates at a massive scale. However, Wayfair has taken steps to improve its cost efficiency and business performance, which can benefit sellers on the platform. Additionally, Wayfair has partnered with Google Cloud to help scale its operations and provide a better experience for customers and sellers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, selling on Wayfair is undoubtedly worth it for sellers looking to expand their business and increase sales. Wayfair provides a fantastic platform for selling home goods, offering excellent exposure to a wide customer base. Sellers can leverage the platform’s user-friendly interface, extensive reach, and effective marketing tools to showcase their products and attract potential buyers. Unlike other platforms, Wayfair does not require sellers to pay upfront fees, making it a cost-effective option. By utilizing Wayfair’s resources and tapping into its large customer base, sellers can significantly boost their sales and achieve great success in the e-commerce industry.