Amazon Prime vs. Walmart+

Amazon Prime has so many distinct features that we sometimes struggle to compare it to a specific competitor. We can try to look at the elements of the membership offering individually to find suitable comparisons. For example, Prime Video can be measured against Netflix, Hulu, Max, and others. What about the central Amazon Prime service - fast, free shipping?

Now, four years in, we can compare Amazon Prime’s primary shipping and shopping benefits to Walmart+, the Walmart.com membership program that offers free and expedited shipping and shopping benefits. A look back at the first four years of Walmart+ shows that it has become something of a competitor to Amazon Prime, with a growing base of loyal Walmart.com shoppers.

We’ve noted that about three-quarters of Amazon.com shoppers use an Amazon Prime membership. Walmart+ now covers about half that share of Walmart.com customers.

Specifically, in the most recent twelve-month period, 36% of Walmart.com customers reported having a Walmart+ membership. This is more than double the rate from three years ago, when about 16% of Walmart.com shoppers were Walmart+ members (Chart 1).