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Walmart Is Testing a Fulfillment Service for Vendors to Match Amazon

  • Retailer looking to handle orders for third-party merchants
  • Rival Amazon has offered fulfillment services since 2006
An employee packages products inside a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. fulfillment center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
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Walmart Inc., looking to generate more profit from its online unit, wants to start storing and shipping products for third-party vendors for the first time, just as rival Amazon.com Inc. has done for years.

The world’s largest retailer is testing a fee-based service called “Fulfilled by Walmart,” U.S. e-commerce chief Marc Lore said at an industry conference this week. Lore didn’t provide details, but said the service would be an area where the e-commerce arm could generate revenue. It would allow Walmart to move more items from outside merchants, especially ones that generate wider margins.