
Starting with January 31, Walmart will be offering a new shipment option.
Starting with January 31, Walmart will be offering a new shipment option as the retailer will drop its membership fees and offer a free, two-day shipping for some specific orders.
Walmart is the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operating business. This later is a multinational retailing corporation. Walmart is one the largest companies in the world. It operates through a series of brand names. In the United States, their most famous chain is Walmart.
This includes a variety of stores from hypermarkets to grocery stores. Over these past few years, the retail chain has been facing a rising online competition. E-commerce is becoming an increasingly bigger segment.
On Tuesday, Walmart officials announced the introduction of a new shipment option. This could reportedly help them better compete with the digital area. More exactly, with Amazon.com.
Last year, Walmart introduced the membership program. This was the “ShippingPass”. Testing began in May 2016. Now, less than a year later, the retailer will be dropping the project.
ShippingPass offered an unlimited number of free deliveries. But these came at a cost. Program members had to pay a $49 annual fee. Additional details about the program have not been offered.
Walmart did not release the official number of registered users. Nor has it stated if the program met its goal. Instead, company officials stated as follows. The ShippingPass was reportedly specifically designed as a test. It was meant to help refine this new shipment option. Still, Walmart did point out the following. Registered ShippingPass users will receive a refund.
The new Walmart shipment option will work as follows. It will renounce the membership fees. Instead, it will offer free shipping within a two-day transport period. This offer will target about 2 million items.
These will be a varied mix of diverse products. They can target anything from dry foods to pet products. Certain electronics and baby products will also be included on the list.
Still, the free shipment will have a minimum price limit. This has been set at $35. Orders coming up to this value or more can be included in the program. Previously, the minimum price limit was set at $50.
Also, the limit will only target home shipments. Store order pickups will not have a shipment price threshold.
Marc Lore went to offer some details. He is the Walmart U.S. eCommerce CEO and President. In a media briefing, he stated as follows. A fast shipping has become quite an expected feature. As such, the company did need a new program.
According to him, a two-day shipping period has become a common element. Even a touch-and-go one. As such, people should not have to pay for such a product. And they especially should not pay a membership fee.
Walmart offers about 30 million online products. The 2 million included in the new shipment option were specifically selected. They are reportedly the most commonly ordered items. And according to Lore, most could be delivered within a day.
The company released other general shipment details as well. The same-day store pickup option will continue being available. It is currently an option in more than 4,600 stores.
The online grocery pickup will also continue its live program. Presently, it is available in some 600 stores spread across the U.S. According to the company, the service could further expand over the course of 2017.
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