Pat Lawlor was happy to buy his first home — until he received a fake email from someone he thought was his escrow officer. Plus, closing apps doesn’t save iPhone battery, a flame-throwing robot dog, and Amazon’s new grocery delivery.
Walmart takes another swipe at Amazon Prime with no minimum 2-hour delivery
America’s biggest retailers are changing at a breakneck pace. Fueled partially by the industrial shifts of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies like Amazon, Target and Walmart have managed to weather the economic fallout thanks to increased online shopping options and in-store regulations.
However, if other retailers want to compete with Amazon, they have quite a long way to go. It’s not as if Target or Walmart has an upcoming fleet of flying delivery drones. Tap or click here to see what your future contact-free deliveries will look like.
Despite Amazon’s head start, Walmart is quickly making major gains of its own. It launched a direct competitor to Amazon Prime, including same-day shipping, fuel discounts and early access to exclusive product launches. And the service just received a significant upgrade that might sway you to give it a look.
Walmart+ drops minimum order
Walmart is aiming to join the likes of Amazon with its subscription service called Walmart+. It launched a few months ago and has already been successful. But the company just made a huge change to the service to attract more customers.
Initially, subscribers would have needed to meet a $35 minimum purchase to receive free shipping on certain orders from Walmart.com. That minimum order was dropped for qualifying purchases in December 2020.
And Walmart+ just took another huge leap forward in the world of fast, free shipping. The company has announced it will no longer require a $35 minimum purchase to qualify for its express two-hour delivery service where available. According to Walmart, this includes Walmart’s food, consumables and general merchandise assortment.
Walmart+ is designed to take advantage of the company’s brick-and-mortar presence without completely sacrificing it. This will seemingly give Walmart+ an edge over Amazon Prime thanks to each store’s baked-in product selection, prices and services like the Walmart Pharmacy.
Benefits of membership will include same-day delivery on select goods and products, as well as same-day grocery delivery. According to Walmart, here are some of the perks you will get with Walmart+:
- Unlimited free delivery: In-store prices as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from tech and toys to household essentials and groceries. This service was previously known as Delivery Unlimited — a subscription service that allows customers to place an unlimited number of deliveries for a low, flat yearly or monthly fee. Current subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members.
- Scan & Go: Unlock Scan & Go in the Walmart app — a fast way to shop in-store. Using the Walmart app, customers can scan their items as they shop and pay using Walmart Pay for a quick, easy, touch-free payment experience.
- Fuel discounts: Fill up and save up to 5 cents a gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express fuel stations. Sam’s Club fuel stations will soon be added to this lineup.
All of this will be possible because of Walmart Neighborhood Markets, which may serve a double role as distribution centers for delivery. This makes speedy delivery much easier for locals and makes shipment of items like prescriptions less of a logistical nightmare.
The service costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month and includes a 15-day free trial period. That’s $21 less than a yearly Amazon Prime subscription of $119.
New scam spreading online: Grocery orders stolen before being delivered
It’s been a rough few weeks, but the fruits of our social distancing efforts are finally starting to pay off. The spread of the virus seems to have slowed significantly, and early death projections are being revised in favor of much smaller ones.
Jeff Bezos needs the money: Amazon’s new grocery delivery has hit the streets. For $9.99 per month, you’ll get free delivery from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, Rite Aid and a few local spots but only on orders over $35. You can get a free 30-day trial. Instacart is getting too expensive. Listen to this to learn how much.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Hidden costs of Instacart
Opting for grocery delivery? It’s convenient, but be aware of the extra price.