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Free Whoppers from Burger will be part of the new Walmart+ membership offerings.

Walmart Inc. has teamed up with Burger King to offer Walmart+ members a new daily perk: 25% off digital fast-food orders.

The move is part of Walmart’s broader strategy to bolster sign-ups and retain customers of the Walmart+ paid loyalty program. In doing so, Walmart hopes to make the program more appealing to a wider variety of shoppers.

Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 1000, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by web sales. It is also No. 9 in the Global Online Marketplaces Database, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of top such marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (GMV).

How Walmart+ will integrate free Whoppers from Burger King

Starting in September, Walmart+ members will also receive a free flame-grilled Whopper from Burger King every three months with any purchase, the retailer noted.

“This unique benefit is designed to save members time and money, catering to their fast-paced lifestyles where grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking may not always be feasible,” Walmart said in an Aug. 22 statement announcing the partnership.

Walmart+ reaches customers across income brackets

Walmart+ already offers a range of perks, including free shipping, same-day grocery delivery and discounts on gas and travel, making it a major rival to Amazon Prime. Membership costs $12.95 per month or $98 a year, with a discounted $49 option available for users on government assistance. By comparison, Amazon Prime costs U.S. consumers $14.99 per month or $139 per year, which also includes free shipping on online orders.

The new collaboration with Burger King could make Walmart+ more attractive to a wider range of customers, adding to the program’s recent growth.

Membership sign-ups saw a double-digit increase in the second quarter, CEO Doug McMillon noted in Walmart’s most recent earnings call, though he did not disclose exact numbers. Global membership income also rose 23% during the same period, which ended July 31.

McMillon added that Walmart+, along with the company’s delivery services, store remodels, and other U.S. initiatives, are positioning Walmart for continued growth among higher-income customers, regardless of economic conditions.

Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner noted that Walmart+ is designed to be relevant across all income brackets.

“We have members who are delivering very frequently who are below $50,000 a year in income, and we have members who are delivering frequently and growing above $100,000,” Furner said.

Walmart+ gains grounds as Prime competitor

As of June, 26% of U.S. adults held a Walmart+ membership, a 12 percentage point increase from the previous year, according to eMarketer’s June Ecommerce Survey. This puts Walmart+ close to Costco’s 27% membership penetration and nearly three times higher than Instacart+’s 9%.

The research firm eMarketer predicts Walmart+ will reach 31.8 million users by year’s end. However, Amazon Prime remains far ahead with 180 million U.S. subscribers, as of March, marking an 8% increase from the previous year, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

Walmart is gradually narrowing the gap by adding more perks to its membership program. In addition to free shipping with no order minimum, Walmart+ members now enjoy early access to product releases, online Black Friday deals, a Paramount+ subscription, and free home pickup for returns.

In June, Walmart hosted its second annual Walmart+ Week, an online sales event similar to Amazon’s Prime Day, with seven days of deals mostly exclusive to members. The promotion was timed just weeks before Amazon’s Prime Day in July.

“Walmart Plus is an important part of our program,” Furner said. “It’s not the only thing we do. We do a lot of other things. But for the people that join, we want to make sure that we deliver the very best experience that we possibly can that’s within our control.”

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