It’s the battle of the retail titans, as Walmart launches its own version of Amazon’s hugely popular Prime Day.
The second annual Walmart+ Week offers special offers and enhanced benefits to customers with its $98/year premium membership.
It has echoes of its rival Prime Day, which has become a highly anticipated two-day event launched in 2015 for Americans to spend on everything from gadgets to household essentials during the summer months.
Through Sunday, Walmart+ members will get cheaper gas, more cash back on rides, and fast, free in-store delivery — without the usual $10 fee.
Deals include a 15.6-inch HP laptop (was $1,000, now $400), an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner (was $350, now $229), and three pairs of Cate & Chloe white gold-plated earrings (was $249, now $50).
Launched in 2020, Walmart+ has become Amazon Prime’s main competitor, and Walmart+ Week is the company’s answer to Amazon Prime Day, which has been around since 2015.
And if you’ve been considering a particular subscription for a while, here are some of the free trials you can get if you sign up for Walmart+ this week (which itself still has a 30-day free trial available).
- Up to five free months of Apple Music and up to four free months of Apple Fitness+
- Three-month free trial of YouTube Premium
- Two free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
- Four free months of Calm Premium
Launched in 2020, Walmart+ has become Prime’s main competitor.
Walmart strategically timed its week of exclusive price cuts before Prime Day, a one- or two-day promotional period that typically occurs during July.
While Amazon hasn’t yet set a date for this year’s iteration, one expert told DailyMail.com that Walmart+ Week isn’t that popular—yet.
‘Prime Day is a well-established retail occasion that shoppers seek out.
“Walmart+ Week is a much less visible occasion, so it needs more time to reach consumers and gain traction,” said retail expert Neil Saunders of analytics firm Global Data.
For this week only, Walmart+ subscribers will get 20 cents off per gallon on gas and 20 percent back on Walmart Cash on flights, hotels or car rentals booked through the company’s travel portal.
As the battle for market dominance between Walmart and Amazon continues, each has its advantages.
Amazon is the overall leader in online retail in the US, with about 37 percent market share, while Walmart has 6 percent.
But for consumers who want an in-person experience plus competent delivery service, Walmart has the advantage with its more than 10,000 locations. That includes Walmart’s usual supercenters, its smaller neighborhood markets and wholesale Sam’s Clubs.
Walmart’s market share of the overall U.S. retail market is 8.59 percent, according to Shopping at Capital One. Amazon follows a little closely.
Amazon continues to lead in subscriptions, with about 200 million Prime members, while Walmart+ has about 59 million.
This is likely due to Prime’s 15-year lead, since it launched in 2005 at the original price of $79 a year.
But Saunders also said he believes “Walmart+ will never fully compete with Amazon Prime.”
Amazon is the overall leader in online retail in the US, with about 37 percent market share, while Walmart has 6 percent.
Amazon bought Whole Foods Market in 2017 for $13.7 billion, in part to compete with companies like Walmart with a huge brick-and-mortar presence.
“Prime is an entire ecosystem of benefits and services that go far beyond free delivery,” he told DailyMail.com. It comes with a streaming service for movies and TV shows, for example.
‘Walmart+ has relatively few amenities. However, this does not mean that Walmart cannot grow and succeed. There is space for both services.’
Walmart+ is cheaper than Prime: $98 a year and $49 a year for those participating in government assistance programs like food stamps.
The annual Prime membership for EBT recipients is almost $84, while the regular membership is $139.99 a year.
Saunders says Amazon is justified in charging more for Amazon Prime because it’s simply a better value than Walmart+.
The bottom line, he says, is: If you have a Walmart nearby and love receiving free groceries and other items, Walmart+ is right for you.
If you want free delivery and many other benefits, Amazon Prime is likely the best option.
Each service offers unique and distinct benefits to its subscribers, which can be found below: