Walmart said Monday it will offer its subscription service, Walmart Plus, at a 50% discount ahead of the holiday season, as the retailer attempts to close the gap with Prime’s Prime subscription service. its rival Amazon.com.
This year, U.S. retailers such as Walmart launched sales events earlier and added more deals and perks to attract shoppers who are facing high inflation. The National Retail Federation forecasts that U.S. holiday retail sales will increase 3.5%, the slowest pace in six years, due to frugal spending.
As part of these early deals, Walmart is offering a one-year membership to Walmart Plus for $49, down from the usual $98, starting Monday and lasting through December 2.
The move highlights Walmart’s efforts to compete with Amazon Prime, which costs $139 a year and has six times as many subscribers. According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, Amazon Prime has 180 million subscribers in the United States, while eMarketer estimates Walmart Plus will reach 32 million by the end of the year.
Walmart Plus offers perks like express, same-day, and next-day deliveries, a free subscription to Paramount+, and 10 cents off per gallon on gas. Amazon Prime members enjoy perks like an annual subscription to Grubhub+ delivery services, early and exclusive Prime Day deals, and free access to Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Video.
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