Your Roadmap To Sell On Wayfair: Simple Steps

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the key steps to get started and succeed on Wayfair.

Key Takeaways

• Specializing in furniture and home goods, Wayfair has carved out a significant market share in its niche. It presents a golden opportunity for sellers in the home goods space. 
• Shopify stands out as a leading platform for setting up your own e-commerce site, as it integrates seamlessly with Wayfair for smoother sales across both platforms.

Why Should You Sell On Wayfair?

First and foremost, it’s essential to grasp what Wayfair is. Wayfair is an e-commerce platform, akin to giants like Amazon but with a distinctive focus on furniture and home goods. If your products cater to enhancing living spaces, Wayfair is your ideal marketplace. While it might not have the same level of recognition as Craigslist or eBay, Wayfair ranked as the 9th top company in terms of e-commerce sales in the United States in 2020, amassing a staggering $9.42 billion USD.

Now, let’s delve into the platform and unearth why it could be a game-changer for your business.

Wayfair serves as a haven for individuals seeking to adorn their homes with exquisite goods. Anyone looking to elevate the aesthetics of their living spaces naturally gravitates toward this platform. Notably, Wayfair has a specific demographic in its crosshairs. In a strategic move, Wayfair named Kelly Clarkson its brand ambassador and seamlessly integrated its “Home: You Got This” campaign into NBCUniversal’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” The choice of Kelly Clarkson was shrewd, aligning with their target audience – women aged 45 to 55.

Wayfair’s product listings span every conceivable room in a typical household, ranging from bedrooms to bathrooms, kitchens to living rooms, and beyond. This comprehensive approach ensures that your product offerings if intended for domestic use, find a suitable home on Wayfair’s virtual shelves. The array of offerings encompasses beds, baths, sofas, lighting, kid’s furniture, and even pet accessories. With this breadth, Wayfair stands tall as a premier choice for diverse sellers.

While Wayfair ranks 9th in terms of leading e-commerce sales overall, it commands the numero uno position in its niche. In 2019, Wayfair impressively claimed a 33.4% share of the online furniture market, surpassing even the formidable Amazon, which held 29.7%. This niche dominance underscores the platform’s capability to connect sellers with a highly engaged and motivated audience.

As of 2019, Wayfair boasted over 11,000 suppliers, a number poised to keep growing as the platform maintains its dominance. However, this growth in suppliers is matched by an even more impressive surge in customers. In 2020 alone, Wayfair boasted a whopping 31.19 million active consumers, marking a 50% surge compared to the previous year. This thriving customer base generated a staggering 55 million orders in the same year. With such exponential growth, entering the Wayfair marketplace presents an opportunity you wouldn’t want to miss.

Wayfair Pring Structure

Wayfair operates on a wholesale cost model, which means they’ll set a retail price on their platform that’s higher than the wholesale price they pay you for your products. Their profit comes from this margin.

What’s more, Wayfair functions as a dropshipping platform. This means that when a customer places an order, Wayfair takes care of the logistics. They’ll send the customer’s order to your warehouse or supplier and foot the bill for 100% of the shipping costs. Your role primarily involves packing and having the product ready for shipment.

This partnership arrangement effectively translates into a zero-risk investment for your business. It’s a win-win situation where you can focus on providing quality products, and Wayfair handles the rest. This financial setup fosters a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship between the platform and its sellers. In essence, when it comes to costs and fees, Wayfair is all pros and no cons.

How To Start Selling On Wayfair

Step 1: Create an account

To kickstart your journey as a seller on Wayfair, you need to sign up for an account. Wayfair simplifies this process by providing an online application form that is user-friendly and efficient. The form primarily comprises three main sections: contact information, business information, and logistical/shipping details.

One key recommendation is to include links to your online catalogs, particularly if your store already operates online. If you have a dedicated website, it’s highly advisable to submit the direct link as it enhances your brand’s credibility and increases the likelihood of approval.

Once your application is submitted, you can expect a response from Wayfair’s customer support team within a relatively short span, typically within 3 to 5 business days.

Step 2: Upload products and list inventories

Upon being accepted as a Wayfair partner, your next task is to populate the platform with your product offerings. Wayfair streamlines this process by initiating the pricing of your products and generating product listings for you. This step becomes more manageable if you are using another eCommerce platform that offers integration with Wayfair, especially Shopify (which will be covered later).

On the contrary, if you don’t yet have an online store or your chosen eCommerce platform lacks integration capabilities, you will need to take a somewhat manual approach. When uploading your products, pay careful attention to two crucial aspects: visuals and descriptions. Ensure you use high-quality images and craft detailed, compelling product descriptions. Wayfair will assist you in optimizing the overall presentation and categorization of your products.

Here’s a bonus tip: If your products come in various options (sizes, colors, etc.), make sure to fully customize your listings to provide the best shopping experience for your potential customers.

Step 3: Manage your orders

Managing your orders on Wayfair is the final piece of the puzzle, and it’s as simple as it sounds. Your focus here is on accurate and timely order processing, shipping, and delivery. By prioritizing an excellent buyer’s experience, you can secure positive reviews, cultivate customer advocacy, and foster growth in your income.

Efficiency and reliability in managing orders not only enhance your seller reputation but also contribute significantly to your long-term success on Wayfair. A satisfied customer is more likely to become a repeat buyer and recommend your products to others, ultimately fueling your business’s growth in the platform’s competitive marketplace.

While managing your orders on Wayfair, consider implementing an efficient and transparent communication system with your customers. Keeping buyers informed about order status, shipping details, and expected delivery dates can go a long way in building trust and satisfaction. Utilize automated order tracking and confirmation emails to streamline this process.

Maximize Profit: Create An Ecommerce Website

While Wayfair’s algorithm may be benefiting your sales, diversifying your platforms can provide additional avenues for revenue. Branching out helps you not only tap into different customer bases but also establish a brand identity that’s uniquely yours.

Why Should You Choose Shopify To Work With Wayfair?

When it comes to expanding your e-commerce endeavors beyond Wayfair, Shopify is the ultimate game-changer. Shopify is a subscription-based platform renowned for its versatility and efficiency in helping users establish and manage their online stores. In essence, Shopify is a comprehensive store builder and manager, offering a swift and accessible pathway to launching your online business and connecting with potential customers, regardless of their location.

One of the primary reasons to opt for Shopify alongside Wayfair is the substantial degree of control it grants you. While Wayfair primarily functions as a platform for listing your products and managing orders, it offers limited room for customization, branding, and marketing. 

Conversely, Shopify empowers you with complete control over every facet of your online store. Whether it’s tailoring the store’s appearance, engaging in blogging, executing promotional campaigns, or implementing pop-ups, Shopify provides the flexibility and autonomy to make your brand stand out.

Why Should You Create An Ecommerce Website With Shopify?

Shopify’s appeal extends beyond its versatility; it offers a host of compelling reasons to create your dedicated e-commerce website:

• Advanced Functionality: Shopify’s vast ecosystem boasts over 8,000 add-ons and applications, with many of them being entirely free. This extensive selection enables you to customize your online store to meet your unique needs. From streamlined inventory management to robust accounting tools, sales enhancement features, and seamless social media promotion, Shopify’s plugin library offers endless possibilities for optimizing your online business operations.
• Built-in Marketing Tools: Beyond its rich selection of add-ons, Shopify equips you with built-in marketing tools that can substantially boost your business. It simplifies search engine optimization (SEO), making your store more discoverable to potential customers. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with popular social media platforms, enabling you to tap into vast audiences. As the store administrator, you can access real-time reports on website visitors, helping you understand their position within the sales funnel and tailor your strategies accordingly.
• Flexible Pricing Plans: Starting an online business can be financially challenging, but Shopify caters to businesses of all budget ranges. With various pricing plans, including budget-friendly options starting at $39 per month, Shopify ensures that cost is not a barrier to entry for aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Abundant Support: Shopify takes customer support seriously, offering 24/7 assistance and comprehensive documentation. This means you’ll never feel stranded on the platform, as their responsive team is available to guide you through any challenges you might encounter, ensuring your online store operates smoothly and efficiently.

In summary, Shopify emerges as a compelling choice for those looking to complement their Wayfair sales with a dedicated e-commerce website.

How To Sell on Wayfair with Shopify

Step 1: Setting Up Your Shopify Store

Expanding your business by venturing into online sales begins with the creation of your very own online store using Shopify. However, the process of setting up and configuring your Shopify store is quite extensive, and it’s best conveyed through visual means. For a comprehensive guide on creating and configuring your Shopify store, we recommend referring to the official Shopify setup guide provided by the platform.

Starting your own e-commerce brand is made easier with Shopify, and they often offer a 3-day free trial. But, if you find that this trial period isn’t enough, there’s good news. Shopify has a special deal of $1/month for the first 3 months, providing you with ample time to familiarize yourself with the platform and set up your online store effectively.

Step 2: Integrating Wayfair

One of the key advantages of Shopify is its rich ecosystem of add-ons and integrations. Among them, MultiChannel Sales Manager is a powerful integration tool Shopify offers. With this tool, you can seamlessly connect your Shopify store with various online marketplaces, including Wayfair, Amazon, Etsy, and many others.

The MultiChannel Sales Manager simplifies your cross-platform selling endeavors by automating several critical processes:

• Platform Integration: It enables you to connect your Shopify store with multiple marketplaces, such as Wayfair, streamlining your product listings across different platforms.
• Automatic Updates: Your listings on different platforms are automatically updated, ensuring that your product information remains accurate and up-to-date.
• Data Enrichment: This tool allows you to enrich your product listings with additional data that may not be sourced directly from Shopify, enhancing the quality of your listings.
• Effortless Order Management: Managing orders from various platforms becomes effortless, thanks to this integration’s capabilities.

Once you have successfully set up your Shopify store and Wayfair listing, integrating Wayfair into your Shopify ecosystem is straightforward. You can initiate this integration by clicking on the provided link and selecting the “Add app” option.

After installing the plugin, Shopify guides you through the onboarding process, assessing your specific requirements, providing a solution demo, and reviewing your marketplace data.

Bottom Line

Selling on Wayfair can be a lucrative opportunity for your e-commerce business. With the right strategies and guidance, you can tap into a massive market of home goods enthusiasts.