Walmart launching Amazon Prime competitor Walmart Plus later this month

Walmart
Walmart (Image credit: Walmart)

What you need to know

  • Walmart+ will launch later this month at $98 per year.
  • Perks included with membership will be same-day grocery delivery, discounts at Walmart gas stations, and early access to deals, according to Vox's sources.
  • Walmart+ was originally slated to launch back in the spring but was apparently pushed back due to the pandemic.

There are few subscriptions that offer as many perks under one banner as Amazon Prime (opens in new tab), which includes everything from free two-day (or same-day when available) shipping and grocery delivery to the ever-growing Prime Video library to free photo backups and beyond. This ubiquity has made it hard for other retailers to compete with the goliath known as Amazon, but Walmart looks ready to give it another shot with Walmart Plus.

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According to a report by Vox, Walmart+ will be launching later this month at $98 a year for a litany of benefits similar to Prime: free same-day delivery for grocery and general purchases and early access to deals. Walmart will also be offering a discount on gas when shopping at Walmart's gas stations.

Walmart's had record sales since the pandemic began, which is little surprise considering Walmart has one of the easiest grocery pickup systems among national grocery chains. The launch also comes at a time when confidence in Amazon is slipping thanks to the extended shipping times seen in many areas hardest-hit by the pandemic, where Amazon had been focusing on essential items.

It's still not clear if the service will be launching nationally or starting as with a regional test market first, but it will be tempting for the grocery delivery alone. Would you sign up for Walmart+ if it launched where you live?

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Ara Wagoner

Ara Wagoner was a staff writer at Android Central. She themes phones and pokes YouTube Music with a stick. When she's not writing about cases, Chromebooks, or customization, she's wandering around Walt Disney World. If you see her without headphones, RUN. You can follow her on Twitter at @arawagco.

6 Comments
  • Competitor seems like a strong word...
  • No I wouldn't. Frankly I'm annoyed we pay for prime which could be avoided if we planned our Amazon expenditures a little better to be high enough to include free shipping without the membership. I actually prefer going to the store for groceries. Having them delivered is too expensive.
  • Probably not. I'm at Walmart at least once a week but part of what makes Amazon good is being able to find the things not a walmart. I suppose Walmart has it partner sellers too and that could increase. Also prime has all the other benefits especially prime video which we use a lot. Home delivery would be nice of groceries but when I order for pick up there are often "out of stock" items that I go in the store and find.
  • No. The only reason I ever got Amazon Prime in the first place was for Prime Video. Now I would probable still keep amazon Prime even without the video because now I'm hook on the free shipping. I may order things once a month or 6 to 7 times a week LOL. The free shipping just makes it to easy. But I will not pay for two separate shipping plans. If I found out down the road that Walmart was better I might switch, but I don't see that happening. Like another commented Walmart is lazy about filling pick up orders and will often say out of stock or replace with a different item because they just don't want to look for it.
  • That's not always true sometimes Walmart will not have the item you are looking for, since their site shows what a store's on hands are from 3 days prior.
  • Walmart did own Vudu but as of this month it's now owned by Fandango, so with out having everything Amazon has, I don't see it doing to well