Just under 48% of consumers who shop online at least weekly say they are somewhat or very likely to join Walmart+, which Walmart plans to launch tomorrow. Even 43% of Amazon Prime members say they are intrigued by Walmart’s offer, which includes a discount on gas as well as free shipping on some online orders.
Walmart Inc. can expect a warm response to its new Walmart+ membership program from consumers who shop online frequently.
Overall, 41.1% of the 604 online shoppers surveyed by Digital Commerce 360 said they were very (14.9%) or somewhat (26.2%) likely to join Walmart+. But the interest is higher among avid web shoppers: 47.7% of consumers who shop online at least once a week said they are very (19.2%) or somewhat (28.5%) likely to sign up for Walmart+. 
Even among members of the Amazon Prime program of archrival Amazon.com Inc., 42.7% express interest in the membership program Walmart announced last week. Walmart plans to launch the program Tuesday, Sept. 15.
“The big takeaway is that quite a few consumers may be interested in another program like Amazon Prime, and it may be that shopper satisfaction with Prime and its convenience makes them more inclined to try a program like Walmart+,” says long-time ecommerce consultant Lauren Freedman, now senior director of consumer insights for Digital Commerce 360.
She notes that 88% of the survey respondents—who were limited to consumers who shop at least once a month online—belonged to Amazon Prime, an indicator of how popular Prime has become among consumers who shop online on a regular basis.
The coronavirus outbreak also likely contributes to consumer interest in Walmart+, Freedman says. “More shoppers are now buying groceries online, and Walmart is the country’s leading grocery retailer and has reported a big increase in online food sales,” she says. “Plus, many consumers are consolidating their purchasing among fewer retailers, and Walmart seems to be among those gaining ground as a result.”
Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared in DigitalCommerce360.
