With the holiday season expected to kick off a massive online shopping boom, we took a look at consumer opinion of Walmart+ and Amazon Prime, to see how the two retail behemoths compare, and if Walmart+ can provide serious competition for Amazon Prime.

Amazon Prime and Walmart+ offer a similar set of benefits. Aside from free shipping, Amazon Prime includes several additional benefits, including the Amazon Prime Video streaming service, Amazon Music, Amazon Photo, etc. Along with free shipping, Walmart+ includes discounts for gas purchases and a special app for faster, more convenient in-store shopping.

Who is it for?

Launched in 2020, Walmart+ is new to the game, and this shows in the brand’s much lower Awareness.

• Amazon Prime has higher Appeal in every category and leads in Appeal among the total population 64% to 51%.
• Walmart+ is strongest among African Americans and those with income under $50K per year. In those categories, Amazon Prime leads by only 3%.
• Among the generational groups, Amazon Prime is strongest with Gen X, while Walmart+ is strongest with Gen Z who cite the service’s low prices and convenience as sources of Appeal.

How Walmart+ can compete

Amazon Prime has a 15-year head start and includes access to a vast streaming library, but there are still options for Walmart+ to compete. Walmart itself has thousands of stores across the US, with extremely high Awareness and Appeal, so that physical presence will obviously be an important part of Walmart+’s competitive approach. Consumer Comments captured by E-Score Brand point out some additional nuances.

Low Prices

Walmart’s slogan, “save money, live better” has made an impact on consumers, many of who describe Walmart+ as a source for “affordable products,” “great prices” and “cheap and good quality.” In contrast, Amazon Prime is more often described as “convenient,” “easy to use” and “fast, efficient and predictable.” Walmart+ is priced lower than Amazon Prime ($98 per year, vs $119 for Prime) – a significant difference that will likely appeal to many shoppers.

One-Stop Shopping

Consumers love Walmart+’s convenience and wide range of goods, calling it “the everything store” and applauding the retailer’s breadth of products including “produce, products, groceries, clothing, (and) all things retail.” Walmart+’s curbside pickup is also popular with this group as represented by this comment: “I literally only have to go shopping at 1 place for all my needs and you can order online and have them put it in your car for you.”

It’s Family-Friendly

Walmart+ and Amazon Prime have similar perceptions when it comes to brand attributes. Both brands are described as A Leader, Practical and Relevant to Me among their top attributes. One area where Walmart+ stands out is for the attribute Family-Friendly, where it outscores Amazon Prime 35 to 21. Walmart+’s focus on groceries, medication and consumer sundries likely contributes to this perception, while Amazon Prime’s wider, less regulated marketplace gives some consumers caution.

Walmart+ will not have an easy time making inroads into an online shopping marketplace where Amazon Prime has a substantial head start, but E-Score Brand has shown some ways that Walmart+ – and the brands that want to partner with the online retailer – can stand out from the competition.