Should You Expand Beyond Amazon? Shopify, Walmart, More

Should You Expand Beyond Amazon? Shopify, Walmart, and More

If your Amazon brand is gaining traction, it's natural to ask:

“Should I expand to Shopify or Walmart?”

Diversifying sales channels can grow revenue, build brand equity, and reduce risk. But expanding too early—or without a clear strategy—can hurt more than help.

At Flapen, we help first-time sellers build strong Amazon foundations before expanding. This guide shows how to know when you’re ready, choose the right platform, and expand without losing momentum.

📚 Table of Contents

1. Why Sellers Consider Expanding Beyond Amazon

2. The Risks of Expanding Too Early

3. Signs You’re Ready to Expand

4. Comparing Expansion Options: Shopify vs. Walmart

5. Step-by-Step Expansion Strategy

6. Pro Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

7. FAQ: Expanding Off Amazon

8. Final Thoughts: Build Depth Before Width

1. Why Sellers Consider Expanding Beyond Amazon

Once your Amazon sales are stable, expansion feels like the next logical step.

Benefits of expanding:

• Diversification: Reduces reliance on one platform

• Customer data: Shopify lets you collect emails and retarget

• Brand identity: External sites give you full creative control

• Revenue growth: New platforms = new buyers

But those benefits only come after Amazon is optimized and automated.

2. The Risks of Expanding Too Early

We’ve seen it often: sellers jump to Shopify or Walmart too soon and stretch themselves thin.

Risks include:

• Cash flow strain

• Divided focus

• Operational overload

• Underperformance across all channels

💡 Flapen Insight: Brands that scale too early often sacrifice Amazon growth to chase unproven channels.

3. Signs You’re Ready to Expand

Before you go multichannel, check these boxes:

✅ You’re doing $25K–$50K/month on Amazon
✅ Listings, reviews, and ads are optimized
✅ Inventory and fulfillment run smoothly
✅ You can invest in testing new channels without draining core profit
✅ You’ve already validated product-market fit

Still unsure? Ask yourself:
“Have I fully saturated my Amazon opportunity?”

4. Comparing Expansion Options: Shopify vs. Walmart

Here’s how each platform stacks up when you’re ready to scale off-Amazon:

🛍️ Shopify (DTC or Dropshipping)

Shopify gives you a direct relationship with your customers—and full control over your brand.

Two popular models:

1. Dropshipping

   • Lower inventory risk

   • Low margin, high ad spend

   • Requires strong content + paid traffic strategy

2. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)

   • Use your Amazon inventory for Shopify orders

   • Focus on email marketing, bundling, brand content

   • Ideal for long-term growth and brand-building

💡 Tip: Don’t treat Shopify as a replacement for Amazon. Use it to capture emails, test new products, and build community.

🛒 Walmart Marketplace

Walmart is a growing marketplace with strong buyer intent—and less saturation than Amazon.

Why Walmart works:

• Easy transition for existing FBA/3PL sellers

• Organic visibility still possible

• Lower advertising costs via Walmart Connect

What you need to apply:

• U.S.-based business

• GS1 barcodes

• High-quality listings

• Proven Amazon track record

💡 Tip: Walmart favors experienced sellers. Use your Amazon data and reviews to strengthen your application.

5. Step-by-Step Expansion Strategy

If you're ready to expand, don’t go all in at once. Use this step-by-step roadmap to minimize risk and maximize ROI:

Step 1: Solidify Your Amazon Operation

• Finalize A+ Content, keywords, PPC, and inventory systems

• Automate tasks or outsource to a launch partner like Flapen

Step 2: Choose the Right Platform for Your Goal

• Shopify = long-term brand equity

• Walmart = quick marketplace sales

Step 3: Reuse Existing Assets

• Repurpose Amazon images, copy, and A+ content

• Adapt messaging to fit each platform (SEO, tone, layout)

Step 4: Test Small, Scale Fast

• Shopify: Launch a single product landing page, run $100 in ads

• Walmart: List 1–3 bestsellers and monitor organic performance

Step 5: Track Results and Double Down

• Monitor CAC, ROAS, conversion rates, and retention

• Reinvest only into channels with clear performance signals

🎯 Flapen helps clients manage expansion using real-time data—so every move is tied to ROI.

6. Pro Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

✅ DO:

• Wait until your Amazon business runs smoothly

• Use Amazon data to choose which products to expand

• Budget separately for expansion—don’t borrow from core revenue

• Start with bestsellers, not your full catalog

❌ DON’T:

• Expand with unproven products

• Assume Shopify will generate traffic on its own

• Copy/paste Amazon listings without platform-specific tweaks

• Ignore your Amazon account once you expand

7. FAQ: Expanding Beyond Amazon

Q: Should I launch on Shopify or Walmart first?
A: If your goal is brand-building and email capture, go Shopify. If you want quick, low-lift marketplace sales, go Walmart.

Q: Do I need a new fulfillment system?
A: Not always. Use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or connect Shopify to FBA using tools like Amazon MCF or a 3PL.

Q: Can I run ads on Walmart like I do on Amazon?
A: Yes—Walmart Connect offers keyword-based PPC, similar to Amazon Sponsored Products.

Q: How soon should I expand?
A: Most sellers benefit from waiting until they’re doing at least $25K–$50K/month with stable operations and positive cash flow.

🔁 Final Thoughts: Build Depth Before Width

Expanding beyond Amazon can be powerful—but only if the timing and structure are right.

At Flapen, we recommend this order:

1. Dominate Amazon first

   • Optimize listings

   • Maximize PPC ROI

   • Automate fulfillment

   • Scale profitably

2. Then expand with purpose

   • Use Amazon data to guide new platforms

   • Start small, test fast, and scale based on results

Expansion is a milestone—not a shortcut. Build depth before chasing width.