Reduced rates for Walmart’s third-party sellers are a reflection of the current state of the e-commerce industry, the lengths the carriers will go to secure business, and of course, the influence of the retail giant. In today’s post, we’ll tell you what we know about the Walmart deal, what it says about the current state of FedEx, and how you can benefit from lower rates—  without the help of Walmart.

What do we know about the discounts for third-party sellers?

Not all Walmart products are shipped from its warehouses— some are seller-fulfilled. Instead of purchasing shipping labels individually, the FedEx deal allows third-party sellers to benefit from a Walmart group discount. However, these newly-negotiated FedEx discounts aren’t the first for third-party sellers.

Just in time for the holiday season, in November 2023, Walmart announced UPS’s new supported carrier status. Third-party sellers could easily purchase and print discounted UPS shipping labels through Ship with Walmart directly from the Seller Center.

Currently, Ship with Walmart supports shipping labels from USPS, FedEx, and UPS. In its newest announcement regarding FedEx discounts, the retail giant promised that it would “continue to share opportunities for shipping cost savings, whether it’s finding a better price or enabling easy rate comparisons across carriers.”

What do these discounts mean for FedEx and the shipping industry in general?

UPS recently announced that it would lay off 12,000 employees after a disappointing 2023. And FedEx completely revamped its air network.

With Amazon taking the reigns as the country’s biggest delivery business and declining demand for e-commerce, carriers are more willing to offer discounts than they have been in years.

Can you reap the benefits of lower rates without the weight of Walmart behind you?

In 2023, Walmart topped the list of the Fortune Global 500 list for the 11th year in a row. The behemoth’s financial and political pull is an enticing reason to offer a discount.

You don’t need to associate with Walmart or earn a spot on the Fortune 500 list to get the best rates on shipping. Instead, trust the team at ShipRx to review and negotiate your shipping contract. The soft demand in the shipping industry, coupled with recent reports on last year’s disappointing results, means the carriers are eager to negotiate deals that guarantee future income.

Get in touch for a free savings analysis, where we’ll review your current contract and let you know whether there’s an opportunity to save. We may be far smaller than Walmart, but with a 100% success rate in reducing our clients’ shipping expenditures and more than 30 years in the shipping industry, you’re in good hands with ShipRx.

Brittany ShipRx Contributor