Walmart renews Prime Day competition
After not directly competing with Amazon Prime Day for a year, Walmart is back with a summer sales event of its own.
In an email to Chain Store Age, a spokesperson for the discount giant said it is running a July promotion called “Walmart+ Week.” The event will last four days, from Monday, July 10 to Thursday, July 13 (Amazon Prime Day takes place July 11-12).
Starting at noon ET on Monday, July 10, members of the Walmart+ paid subscription program will have early online access to savings, including exclusive deals and limited time offers, on thousands of products across categories including electronics, home, toys, and fashion.
Walmart is also offering exclusive limited time offers just for Walmart+ members during the event, including six months of unlimited Panera Sip Club membership for five dollars per month and a monthly $5 MyPanera reward, as well as “buy one, get one” tickets to all Six Flags parks.
Walmart+ Week will then open to all customers at noon ET on Tuesday, July 11. The event runs until Thursday, July 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
In 2022, Walmart chose to rely on heavy discounts it was already offering on many items to help maintain sales during the Prime Day period. In addition, at the time Walmart had just launched a back-to-school initiative. Touting “incredible prices,” the retail giant offered more than 100 school supplies under $1, with items starting at just a quarter.
Walmart initially launched Walmart+ in September 2020, and has added a number of features, perks and partnerships since. Walmart+ , which the retailer has always said is not intended to be a competing service to Amazon Prime, costs $98 for its annual plan or $13 monthly, with the option of a free 30-day trial membership.
Target debuts ‘Circle Week’
Target, Walmart’s other top competitor, is also offering its own sales extravaganza, called Target Circle Week, that will overlap with both Prime Day and Walmart+ Week. The weeklong event will run July 9-15 and offer deals of up to 50% on both Target-owned and national brand products, in stores, online and on the Target app.
Prime Day 2022 breaks records with almost $12 billion in sales
Prime Day has become a big business event. According to Adobe Digital Economy Index data, total U.S. online spend across retailers during Prime Day 2022 reached an all-time high of $11.9 billion (including $6 billion on day one and $5.9 billion on day two), representing 8.5% growth compared to $11 billion in Prime Day total online revenue in 2021.
Looking ahead to this year’s event, nearly all (95%) respondents are likely to browse or buy something during Prime Day 2023, according to an Amazon-focused poll of 1,000 U.S. consumers by omnichannel marketing platform Skai.