Team England versus Italy in the European Championships. Joey Chestnut versus Takeru Kobayashi in hot-dog-eating contests. The U.S. versus the rest of the world in the great pineapple-on-pizza debate.
These are just some of the more iconic competitions we've had the privilege of witnessing in recent years.
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But if you're in the retail space, you're probably a little more interested in Walmart (WMT) versus Amazon (AMZN) , which has proved to be a showdown for the ages.
The two are in constant, relentless pursuit of each other. Amazon continues to make strides in quicker shipments via conventional roadways, and Walmart has been particularly vocal about its drone delivery capabilities, which it says is progressing each day.
Both retailers want a bigger slice of market share and are willing to go to great lengths to get it. As of late 2023, Amazon had over 37% of the online U.S. retail market share, while Walmart had more than 6%. Walmart easily takes the cake on the brick-and-mortar side, dwarfing Amazon's relatively minimal in-person presence.
Amazon is firmly in the lead regarding e-commerce, but given Walmart's more than 10,000 store locations, it has ambitions to catch up— and fast.
Walmart and Amazon's battle is good for shoppers
For us onlookers (and consumers), the contest between Amazon and Walmart is a joy to watch.
When Amazon pulls ahead in delivery speed and volume, Walmart beats it in terms of overall sales. It's the beauty of the free market that enables competition to heighten and the consumer experience to improve.
More Walmart:
- Walmart raises the price of a key service
- Walmart launches cheap brand customers will love
- Some Walmarts make surprising self-checkout change
Part of that battle means increased effort to capture and delight more new customers. Both giants offer a robust paid membership program, a sort of gold mine for retailers since it offers sticky and recurring revenue.
Amazon Prime, which costs $139 per year, offers the following:
- Free shipping and returns, often two-day or next-day on eligible items
- Access to Prime Video streaming
- Savings at Whole Foods Market
- Access to the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
- Access to Amazon Fresh grocery stores
- Try Before You Buy shopping
- Amazon Photos storage
Walmart+, the answer to Amazon Prime, offers distinctly different (but competitive) perks:
- Cheaper, at $98 per year
- Free store delivery
- Free shipping and returns on eligible items
- Fuel savings at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart and Murphy gas stations
- Included Paramount+ streaming subscription
- Limited auto maintenance at Walmart Auto Care Centers
- Cash back on select travel expenses
- Members-only prices during select promotions, like Black Friday
- Mobile shopping in-store
Walmart launches early Prime Day-type savings
Prime still has the lead over Walmart+. Some 200 million shoppers subscribe to Prime, while about 59 million have Walmart+.
But that isn't stopping Walmart from doing everything it can to gain more customers.
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The retailer launched its early version of Amazon Prime Days on Monday. Walmart's sale, called Walmart+ week, boasts an impressive list of savings and promotions to tempt customers into spending early.
Some of those include:
- Double fuel discounts at Exxon and Mobil gas stations
- Up to 20% back in Walmart Cash on flights, hotels, car rentals, and other activities booked via Walmart+ Travel
- Free Express Delivery in under two hours, which usually costs $10
- Three months free of Walmart+ InHome home delivery service
- Mystery offer on June 20
The savings event — the second of its kind since it started last year — began at noon Eastern on June 17 and runs through June 23. It's been placed to run strategically ahead of Amazon Prime Days, which typically runs for two days in early July and promises to offer similar deep discounts and savings for members.
Amazon has said it will soon announce when its 2024 Prime Days event will be held.
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