Walmart is trying to expand its online shopping program, but to do so, they’re trying to compete directly with Amazon by taking some of their competitor’s ideas.
On Wednesday, the retail goliath announced that it will be offering a free 30-day trial of ShippingPass, their version of Amazon Prime. The service offers free two-day shipping on their online products. Current members of ShippingPass will also get a free month of the service as part of the new promotion.
The big draw for Walmart’s ShippingPass is its low price compared to Amazon Prime. The service costs just $49 a year, which comes out to just a little bit over $4 a month. Amazon Prime goes for $10.99 a month of $99 a year.
However, whereas Walmart will only offer free shipping on online products. Amazon Prime gives its members unlimited streaming of movies and music along with the ability to borrow books on the Kindle marketplace.
The free trial for ShippingPass is likely in response to Amazon announcing its second annual Amazon Prime Day, which will take place on July 12 with deals popping up throughout the day.
Walmart continues to dominate the physical shopping industry in the United States, but as consumers slowly shift more and more towards online shopping, the retail company is trying to find ways to not only compete with the likes of Amazon, but also hold their own competitive advantages in the online shopping industry.
That’s easier said than done, however, but Walmart seems determined to continue using its competitive advantage of low prices by transferring it into savings with their online shopping platform.
