Woolworths opens its online marketplace following pilot

Woolworths has gone live with its expanded online shopping offering after several months spent piloting the platform.

The retailer, through its venture capital arm W23, invested in Melbourne startup Marketplacer back in April and also committed to use the technology to create what it called ‘Everyday Market’.

Everyday Market is effectively a dropshipping service, beefing up the range of products available in Woolworths’ online store but relying on third parties to fulfil and ship those products directly to customers.

Customers can pay for groceries and these other products in a single transaction.

Woolworths said that the purpose of the marketplace was “to complement the existing food and grocery range at Woolworths.com.au, with a key focus on aisle extension in the household appliances, baby, toys, pet care, health and beauty categories.”

Woolworths' own variety brand Big W is one of the "partners" selling products through the marketplace.

Everyday Market general manager Lance Eerhard said the retailer is “starting with a small group of partners and it really is just the beginning.” 

“We have ambitions to more than double our range and offer tens of thousands of products to our customers over time,” Eerhard said.

Woolworths has been piloting the Everyday Market “in select areas” since July.