Something new is shaking at the house that Sam Walton built.
Walmart (NYSE:WMT) says it will launch its much-anticipated membership program on Sept. 15, looking to build on the strength of its grocery business and customers’ desire for more convenient ways to shop.
The subscription service, however, is notable for what it won’t include. It won’t have the feature that its rival, Amazon Prime, touts: free shipping for every item.
Walmart+ members will get unlimited free delivery, discounts of as much as five cents a gallon for fuel and access to a Scan & Go app that allows shoppers to skip the checkout line.
But they will still have to meet a $35 minimum for each online order to avoid fees, whether it’s shipped to the home or dropped off at their door. It will cost $98 a year, or $12.95 a month.
One official said the company wants to deepen loyalty among those who already shop at its more than 4,700 U.S. stores and on its website.
Walmart is the largest grocer in the country. During the coronavirus pandemic, its sales have surged as customers have bought everything from milk and toilet paper to board games and bikes in its stores and on its website.
Its e-commerce sales nearly doubled in the second quarter as customers sought out safe and easy ways to shop, such as shipping packages to their homes or retrieving purchases through curbside pickup.
WMT shares hiked $4.41, or 3.2%, to $143.26.
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