Online Presence
Walmart Connect Advertising (Retail Media): A Supplier’s Guide
Walmart Connect is Walmart’s retail-media business, the advertising platform that lets brands promote products across Walmart.com, in-store screens, and offsite channels. For brands competing in crowded categories, it’s often the fastest way to earn visibility that’s hard to win organically.
Updated: June 2026
What Is Walmart Connect?
Walmart Connect is Walmart’s advertising arm. It offers onsite ad formats (in search and on product pages), offsite media, and managed campaigns, letting brands reach shoppers close to the point of purchase using Walmart’s first-party shopper data.
Walmart Ad Formats: Sponsored Search, Brands, Video & Display
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Sponsored Search: keyword-bid product ads in search grids and carousels (the common entry point).
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Sponsored Brands: banner-style search placements that feature a curated product set.
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Sponsored Video: short video ads mid-search-grid.
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Display: banner creative across Walmart properties for awareness.
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Offsite media: reach shoppers beyond Walmart.com.
How to Run Walmart Ads: Self-Service vs Managed
Self-service gives teams direct control over bids and optimization. Advertising partners (like OCM) manage strategy and execution. Walmart Connect managed-serve is a full-service option spanning onsite, offsite, social, and email, typically requiring a larger investment.
Walmart Advertising FAQs
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Can Marketplace (3P) sellers advertise? Yes, Walmart Connect is open to both 1P and 3P.
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Does advertising replace good content? No, weak content undercuts paid spend, so fix content scores first.
How OCM Helps with Walmart Advertising
OCM acts as a Walmart Connect advertising partner: planning campaigns, choosing formats, optimizing spending and ties advertising to your content and reporting so the whole funnel works together.