Walmart is taking on Amazon. Per the New York Post, the retail company is rolling out a new subscription service that offers free shipping for online orders.
The outlet states that Walmart+ “Will deliver more than 160,000 items to subscribers’ homes in as little as one day for $98 a year or $12.95 a month starting Sept. 15.”
They add, “Members will also get discounted fuel prices and access to the mega-retailer’s ‘Scan & Go’ tool, which lets shoppers skip checkout lines in stores by scanning items and paying on their smartphones.”
Walmart+ will be slightly cheaper than Amazon, which offers Prime for $119 annually or $12.99 a month. However, they will not have the movie, TV, and music streaming that Amazon Prime has. Walmart+ also requires that orders must be $35 and over the get free shipping.
There is some skepticism over Walmart’s new service. Mostly because it lacks the “bells and whistles” that Prime members have access to.
Craig Johnson, president of the retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners, points out, “It’s kind of a ho-hum offering. It’s certainly nothing to knock your socks off.” He adds, “If you’re trying to attract customers into the Walmart program, that’s one of the reasons you need a little bit of a richer package.”
Despite the skepticism, since announcing Walmart+, the brand’s stock price went up 4.7 percent.
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