Think Your Product’s Too Boring for Ecommerce? Meet WD-40

When we think of successful ecommerce brands, flashy images pop into our heads: trendy clothes from Gymshark, elaborate skincare serums bought on Ulta.com, or Tiktok-viral snack boxes. These are the examples I see every day on LinkedIn in dozens of posts, as people tend to focus on the “sexy” side of retail, products that say lifestyle, luxury, or impulse buys.

But let me tell you, what you see on LinkedIn is a small fraction of the ecommerce world. The largest part is flying under the radar. Few people think of the utilitarian items, like industrial cleaners, hardware essentials, or maintenance supplies that we need in our homes and businesses. In fact, B2B transactions alone are projected to account for over 80% of global ecommerce volume by 2027, making B2C look small.

Neglecting their digital strategy is a huge mistake many companies make, thinking they don’t belong in that space. Today, I want to do a mini case study on one company that did not make this mistake: WD-40.

No luxury clothes brand or energy drink company today, we’ll be looking at the blue-can legend that’s been loosening rusty bolts for decades. We all have one can of WD-40 on a dusty shelf at some point in our life, and it isn’t the product you think of every day. Which is exactly why WD-40 is the perfect case study for brands dismissing ecommerce as “not for them.” WD-40 has quietly developed an elaborate online strategy, and in this article, I will go over their story and part of its distribution and marketing strategies. Spoiler: If WD-40 can turn a solvent into an ecommerce powerhouse, your “boring” product might just be the next big thing.

What is WD-40?

WD-40 is, for many of us who like mechanics or are reasonably handy, a tool we all used at some point. But before discussing its ecommerce strategy, let’s quickly go over the brand story, background, and financials. I always think it is important to understand where a brand comes from before looking into their current strategy.

WD-40 Story

The story starts in 1953 at the Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego, California. Engineers were working on creating a special solvent to prevent rust and a degreaser for Atlas missiles during the Space Race. After failing 39 times, the 40th formula, named “Water Displacement, 40th formula” worked: WD-40 was born. It worked so well that factory workers “borrowed” it for personal use, from tools to typewriters. By 1958, WD-40 hit retail shelves, and in 1969 Rocket Chemical rebranded entirely as the WD-40 Company to capitalize on its star product success. Interestingly, they never patented the formula, thinking it would leak the secret recipe, a bet that seems to pay off today.

Where WD-40 is Today

Fast-forward to today, WD-40’s growth is still solid. In 2025, the company reported record net sales of $620 million, a solid 5% increase year-over-year. Ecommerce sales alone increased 10% for the year, outpacing overall growth and showing a digital shift that’s here to stay. WD-40 projects 5-9% net sales growth for 2026, targeting $630 million or more. Sure, we often hear about companies achieving 300% or more, but for a 70+ year-old brand in a mature category, I find it pretty impressive. Revenue per item has increased due to premium innovations, and gross margins increased to 14.7% in Q4 2025.

Product line growth has been an important piece of their strategy. The core WD-40 Multi-Use Product remains the cash cow, but since 2012, the company has launched the WD-40 Specialist line, targeting professionals with specialized formulas like Rust Release Penetrant Spray or the Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant. They’ve also added the WD-40 Bike range for cycling enthusiasts and even dirt-resistant variants for cars. These aren’t wild pivots, more like small adjustments and expansion that boost average order value by 10-15% in premium segments. WD-40 now sells internationally, in over 170 countries, with maintenance products showing an impressive 7% growth rate.

As for B2C versus B2B, WD-40 is involved in both worlds, and doesn’t keep the two sides strictly separate. Consumer sales dominate through everyday retail; think grabbing a can at Home Depot for your squeaky door, selling mostly through retail stores and hardware chains. But B2B is no joke: industrial distributors, automotive suppliers, and contract manufacturers place bulk orders for factories, fleets, and facilities, providing steadier, higher-margin revenue sources.

While exact splits aren’t public, ecommerce data hints at a 60/40 B2C/B2B split, with digital channels helping B2B procurement (for example bulk buys on Amazon Business or other B2B marketplace) and B2C purchases alike. This hybrid model gives WD-40 more resilience, turning a niche solvent into a $600M+ giant.

WD-40 Online Distribution and Promotion Strategy

Distribution

WD-40’s distribution seems to be all about maximizing reach while minimizing friction. The company has deployed a global infrastructure with over 20 contract manufacturers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia to minimize the impact of tariffs and speed delivery. For B2C, you’ll find WD-40 in everyday stores like Walmart and its 4700 locations in the US, Home Depot, or Lowe’s. Online, their Amazon presence tells us they take ecommerce seriously. The products are not sold through shady or unreliable sellers: the brand seems to have control over it and sells 1P to Amazon. This ensures reliable fast delivery, good pricing, and customer service. Looking at their product pages and store, they put a lot of effort into it, and keep it up to date. For example, their flagship product has 16k (very positive) reviews. The reviews velocity and rankings suggest at the very least 20k units sold per month.

The brand also has their product listed on their website, and while they don’t sell them directly, they include a long list of links to other retailers that carry their product line. There are some issues with sync, as pricing is not always 100% accurate, but this feature makes sense. The brand does not sell directly through their website, and why would they? Very few customers would order from them directly, and they can’t compete with Amazon Prime.

Their B2B segment is key to their digital strategy, with industrial distributors and wholesalers handling bulk pallets for mechanics, manufacturers, and marinas, often through dedicated portals that integrate with ERP systems for easy reordering, but also B2B marketplaces. This omnichannel blend resulted in 18% year-over-year ecommerce growth in recent quarters.

Marketing

Promotion-wise, WD-40 marketing tools are simple but effective, leaning into the product legacy and a “fix everything” approach. Traditional tactics like in-store demos and tradeshows (for example the 2024 SEMA Show with custom builds) build loyalty among pros. But despite being a purely utilitarian product that has been sold for decades, the brand uses social media, where WD-40 shows it isn’t just a “dad’s tool”. The brand is proof that TikTok isn’t just for makeup companies: some of their posts are racking millions of views, for example how to silence a bike chain or fix a stuck zipper. They also partner with influencers for authentic “before-and-after” stories. The @wd40brand account on Tiktok now has over 33K followers, and keeps posting frequently, while their Facebook account has over 300k followers.

The company is also data driven and, according to external sources, uses Amazon Marketing Cloud for ad optimization and tools like InsightLeap for ecommerce analytics, tracking key metrics from CTRs to cart abandonment. Overall, I think the brand uses the most relevant tools, channels and media to promote their product, and the results are impressive for such an old, non-sexy brand.

What I Think WD-40 Could Do Better

WD-40 playbook is in my opinion pretty solid, but no strategy is flawless. I did not dive too deep into their strategy, this is a short case study and I work with publicly available information. So I may miss some key information, but I can still see several things they could improve.

Maximizing AOV and Margins

First, they sell small, consumable items. They could benefit from offering subscriptions for recurring revenues, but more importantly offer bundles now that they widened their range. This would increase their GMV while cutting on outbound shipping and order fulfillment expenses.

Pricing feels all over the place across online channels: a 12 oz can of WD-40 sells for $6.28 at Walmart but $10+ on Amazon and Home Depot, with third-party sellers undercutting at $5.99. While exact distributor agreements aren’t public, I am hoping the brand has solid MAP policies.

This would protect brand equity, stabilize margins, and prevent race-to-the-bottom losses, especially as tariffs and raw material costs increase. Unauthorized sellers on Amazon and eBay are likely eating into premium perception. WD-40 should actively police top marketplaces, making sure violators are suspended.

Amplify the Cult

I also see some very clever marketing items sold on Amazon, but with very little visibility, such as a mug that says “I love the smell of WD-40 in the morning”. At this point, everyone knows how effective their products are. So I think they should double down on promoting how iconic their product is. Some companies are selling WD-40 scented candles, but it could be as simple as adding “I fixed it with WD-40” stickers with Amazon orders or in bundles.

Talking about legendary products, why not a collab with Duct Tape? These two icons of the DIY world are frequently seen in memes and toolboxes. “If it moves and shouldn’t, use duct tape. If it won’t move and should, WD-40”. But as far as I know, they’ve never teamed up for a co-branded product, campaign, or promo. I think this would make a lot of sense, and get a lot of attention on social media.

Finally, I think the brand would benefit from encouraging UGC, for example asking their customers to show their project cars, fixes, or unusual ways they use WD-40.

Conclusion

WD-40 kills the ecommerce myth that only “cool” brands can win online. By leveraging their rich history, premium expansion, and a distribution strategy that combines B2C and with B2B, I am impressed with the brand. If your brand’s “unsexy,” take notes; digital isn’t optional and can be a real source of growth.