Walmart is getting set to launch its new membership loyalty scheme Walmart Plus (or Walmart+). The service will provide free unlimited same-day delivery on groceries and pretty much everything else Walmart has to offer. This new Amazon Prime-style delivery service will make it much easier – and quicker – for customers to get their hands on the huge selection of low-price products Walmart is renowned for.
The dedicated Walmart+ website says the new service is 'coming soon', and while no exact date has been specified, our money is on the launch happening before the end of July.
Want to know more? Here's everything we know about Walmart Plus so far...
What is Walmart Plus, and what are the perks?
Walmart is one of the world's biggest supermarkets, and Walmart Plus is its brand new subscription service, offering free same- and next-day delivery on a range of products, plus exclusive bargains to its subscribers. It's been in the works for a while, and now it looks set to be launched in July 2020.
As you'd expect from Walmart, the service will be offering great prices on the full range of the products that you can already get in stores. The service will concentrate on groceries initially, following a remarketing of 2019's Walmart Grocery Unlimited Service. But Walmart Plus is set to expand what you can order for the same-day delivery soon after launch, including other product deals, and even an express two-hour delivery option (though that may come at an extra cost).
Other reported perks include being able to order via text, and getting priority checkouts in actual Walmart stores. Rumours also include access to free films and TV shows, and Walmart Plus subscribers getting priority on certain deals during big annual sales, like Black Friday, before regular customers even know about them.
How much will Walmart Plus cost?
Although no price has been officially announced, it's thought Walmart Plus will cost less than Amazon Prime. It's believed the price will be less than $100 for the year, which, if true, will come as a blow to Amazon Prime's $119 price tag.
There will no doubt be a monthly subscription cost too, although price details for that option have yet to surface. As with other loyalty schemes like this though, the annual fee option will almost certainly be the cheapest overall.
Hopefully Walmart Plus also offers a free trial period, so potential customers can try before they buy.
Walmart Plus vs Amazon Prime: Which is best?
We will continue to update this when Walmart Plus launches, hopefully in July 2020, but a quick look at the stats will certainly give you an idea of which online subscription service will be the more dominant one initailly.
According to a CNBC report, as of May 2020, Amazon was accounting for 40% of all US gross merchandise volume online. What's more, with lockdown, demand was so high that Amazon had to reduce what it delivered to essential items only for a period of time, plus hire thousands of new delivery workers. Amazon, it's fair to say, is in rude health in 2020.
However, Walmart is no slouch, announcing that it brought in around $524 billion in yearly revenue. That means that the company has the muscle to make its Plus scheme a real competitor to Prime.
Also, Walmart Plus will unlikely go for the exact same customers that know and trust Amazon Prime. As Walmart specialises in groceries, there will be at least one essential difference between the two subscription services at point of launch, and there are other ways Walmart can distinguish Walmart Plus from Prime, concentrating on specific product areas rather than offering pretty much everything like Amazon does. Groceries, as mentioned, but also gas, early access to Walmart-specific sales and promotions, and quick checkouts in physical Walmart stores are some obvious examples.
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