Retail giant Walmart will begin testing an unlimited shipping service for online customers this summer that will cost half as much as what Amazon Prime charges, the company said Wednesday, May 13.

At $50 per year, the Walmart said orders would arrive in three days or less.

“We’ve heard from customers that they want shipping that’s predictable and they want it to be affordable,” said Walmart spokesperson Ravi Jariwala.

In addition to responding to customer demands, the new service demonstrates Walmart’s efforts toward boosting the growth of its online business, as more and more consumers utilize the web and smartphones to complete everyday tasks.

The shipping service will be available only by invitation and includes more than one million products, including apparel, home goods, toys and electronics.

Amazon charges $99 per year for Prime membership and delivers products in no more than two days. It also offers Sunday deliveries, something Walmart won’t be doing, Jariwala said. Additionally, it won’t offer video and music streaming like its competitor.

Jariwala said Walmart is regularly testing new services with the goal of making it easier for customers to shop.

The company currently offers grocery delivery in five markets, which it began testing in San Jose in 2011. It also offers buy online, in-store pick up and same-day pick up services.

(With reports from Associated Press and USA Today)

(www.asianjournal.com)
(OCIE May 15-21, 2015 Sec. A pg.3)