""You'll notice that we don't sell the No. 1, 2 slots in search - like some of our competitors do," he said at Recode's CodeCommerce conference that year, positioning Walmart.com as the anti-Amazon in its approach to search results. Six years later, that line has all but faded. Sponsored listings now routinely appear at the top of Walmart's search results, pushing organic products further down the page. It's a shift that mirrors the evolution of Amazon's marketplace, where paid placements have become a core part of the shopping experience."
"Walmart has become an ad-selling machine in its own right, fueled by brands eager to buy visibility on the nation's second-largest e-commerce site. Walmart CFO John David Rainey told investors late last year that advertising had grown to make up almost a third of Walmart's overall operating income. The company generated $4.4 billion in global ad revenue in 2024, up 27% year-over-year, making it one of Walmart's fastest-growing businesses, alongside its e-commerce unit."
Walmart moved from a stance against selling top search slots to routinely placing sponsored listings at the top of search results. Sponsored placements now push many organic products down pages, mirroring Amazon's marketplace approach. Brands increasingly pay for visibility on Walmart.com, driving rapid ad-revenue growth. Advertising generated $4.4 billion globally in 2024, up 27% year-over-year, and accounted for nearly a third of operating income according to company statements. Analysis of product searches shows a notable share of first-page results are paid placements, often delaying organic listings until lower-ranked slots.
Read at Digiday
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