09/07/2020
Walmart to sell annual membership service
Walmart has announced its answer to Amazon Prime. Walmart+, an annual membership service, launches Sept. 15. It cost $98 a year or $12.95 if customers opt to pay each month. Members will get free grocery delivery, plus discounts on gas. It also offers a "Scan & Go" option when shopping in-store. Walmart has seen a boom in its online sales during the pandemic, and this service could help expand those sales.
■Class discussion: Do you think many people will be willing to pay a membership fee to shop at Walmart? Why or why not? Why have 150 million people paid to subscribe to Amazon Prime? If you are paying a membership fee, are home deliveries really “free?” Are any goods or services really free or do pay for them in some other way? How do “free” online services like Facebook and Google make money from gathering information about users?