Amazon may be the starting line for most brands, but it's not the finish. Shoppers discover, research, and buy across more places than ever, and the brands that win are the ones showing up everywhere their customers are paying attention.
In this episode of CarrTalk, Owen Carr, Chief Merchandising Officer, sits down with Erik Minter, a senior leader on Spreetail's channels team with more than 16 years of ecommerce experience. Erik has launched many of Spreetail's marketplace partners and had just returned from Walmart's Let's Grow seller event in San Diego. Together they cover where brands should invest first, what's working on Walmart and TikTok Shop, and which emerging marketplaces deserve a closer look.
Amazon Is the Foundation, Not the Ceiling
Erik starts with the numbers. Amazon drives a large share of online shopping volume, which he puts somewhere between 35% and 50% or more. For most brands, being present there is non-negotiable. But presence is only step one.
“I always say Amazon is certainly the foundation, but it's not the ceiling,” Erik says.
Spreetail works with more than 20 channels across the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe, and the right mix depends on the brand. A pet brand should look at Chewy. A power tool brand belongs on Home Depot and Lowe's. Knowing your positioning and target customer tells you where to go next.
Meet Shoppers Wherever They Discover You
Today's path to purchase is rarely a straight line. A shopper might see a product on TikTok, research it through a Google or YouTube search, and buy on a marketplace. Eric notes that Amazon is also changing how it works with Google, which gives brands more control over where their traffic comes from. Brands that think beyond a single marketplace, including social selling and their own channels, are better positioned to capture it.
Walmart: Win on Speed and Discoverability
Erik heard two themes at Let's Grow that match what Spreetail sees in its own data:
- Speed: Shoppers are filtering for items they can get tomorrow, or even today.
- Discoverability: Content, Walmart's AI shopping assistant Sparky, and Walmart Connect retail media all shape whether a brand gets found.
“The expectation used to be two to three days. But many consumers, including myself, are definitely in a more instant-gratification moment,” Erik explains.
Whether a brand uses Walmart Fulfillment Services or Spreetail's fulfillment network, faster delivery promises make a difference. Spreetail has partnered with Walmart to keep those promise times as short as possible, including same-day shipping and, in some cases, same-day or next-day delivery.
Discoverability is harder. Walmart has hundreds of thousands of sellers and millions of SKUs, and Erik is direct about what that means.
“When you're talking a couple hundred thousand sellers and millions of SKUs, discoverability is certainly not easy. Strong content and a presence at the top of search results through Walmart Connect can help."
TikTok Shop: Creators Make the Difference
TikTok Shop lets brands do something social platforms historically couldn't: get discovered and convert on the same platform. Eric says the retail fundamentals still apply, from content and reviews to pricing and promotions, but creators are the unique opportunity.
“A creator could be my neighbor filming in their backyard, but also could be a more notable influencer who really has an audience that has trust and credibility,” Erik says.
Spreetail gives its creators the flexibility to be themselves and show products in real-life settings, whether through posted videos or live streams. The results have been strong. TikTok Shop has become Spreetail's second-largest marketplace across some brands and categories, driven by those creator relationships.
Owen encourages brands still on the fence to experience the platform firsthand.
“Walk the store, because you might not think that someone's buying a $2,000 sauna on TikTok. And they absolutely are,” Owen says.
Lowe's and Target: Curated Marketplaces to Watch
Two emerging channels stand out for Erik. About six months ago, Lowe's moved from a drop-ship model to an open (but still curated) third-party marketplace, giving brands access to both pro and DIY shoppers, especially in home remodel categories. Want the full picture? Check out our complete seller guide to Lowe's Marketplace.
Target's marketplace is also curated, with far fewer sellers and SKUs than Walmart.
“These are marketplaces with relatively minimal sellers, minimal brands, and minimal SKUs, so it gives a brand the opportunity to really build that brand."
That matters for shoppers researching higher-priced purchases across several platforms. Store associates at these retailers also use apps to show customers marketplace items, so a brand can be found even if it isn't on the shelf.
Every Marketplace Needs Its Own Playbook
The through-line of the conversation is that being everywhere isn't enough. Each channel has its own shopper, needs, and expectations, and copying content from one to the next leaves results on the table.
“Don't just copy and paste,” Erik says. Content on Walmart should look different from content on Amazon, and different again on TikTok.
Whether it's driving traffic or improving conversion through trust on the product detail page, the fundamentals stay the same. How they show up changes on every marketplace.
Final Takeaway: Growth Takes More Than Presence
The brands that win over the next few years won't be the ones on the most marketplaces. They'll be the ones that show up on the right marketplaces and make each one their own.
Growing beyond Amazon forces discipline. It forces brands to get clear on who their customer is and where that customer is paying attention. It forces them to compete on speed and discoverability at Walmart, build real creator relationships on TikTok Shop, and get in early on curated marketplaces like Lowe's and Target. And it forces them to give up the copy-and-paste shortcut.
As Erik put it, the goal is simple: “Building that trust as well as that cohesion across those marketplaces is the key for a brand to be successful.”
If a brand's strategy starts and ends with a single marketplace, it's likely leaving revenue on the table.