When it comes to online shopping, Amazon is clearly the king and everyone else is just trying to keep up. Walmart launched Walmart+ back in September in a move to compete with Amazon Prime. This week, Walmart announced they are dropping their $35 minimum order for free shipping for Walmart+ members.
Beginning Friday, Walmart+ members will receive free next-day and two-day shipping even if their spending threshold doesn’t meet the $35 threshold.
“Customers have been clear—they want this benefit,” Walmart Chief Customer Officer Janey Whiteside said in a press release. “Being able to toss an item into your cart, regardless of the total, and check out right away lets them knock little things off their to-do list in no time.”
The move by Walmart is clearly intended to help the retail giant better compete with Amazon Prime. Walmart has not announced how many people have actually signed up for their membership service, but some analysts have projected it to be around 20 million. In comparison, Amazon Prime had approximately 126 million U.S. subscribers as of October of this year.
Walmart’s e-commerce sales soared in the fiscal third quarter with 79% growth.
Walmart+ benefits include discounts on gas as well as access to their “Scan & Go” app which allows users to skip the checkout lines at their stores. Customers can also take advantage of unlimited free grocery deliveries to their homes for all orders over $35.
So, what do most people order from Walmart? Earlier this year, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon revealed in an interview with Bloomberg (Bloomberg.com or Bloomberg News?) that their No. 1 selling item was bananas. According to McMillon, they sell “billions of bananas.”
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