Walmart announces unexpected new membership perk

Walmart (WMT) , the largest retail chain in the U.S., has recently been making bold moves to keep customers from avoiding its stores. This comes amid the growing threat of tariffs, which could cause prices to go up for everyday goods.

For example, over the last three months, the retail giant has rolled out 7,400 price rollbacks, which is 2,000 more than the number it introduced during the same time period last year.

“We’re keeping our prices as low as we can for as long as we can,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon during an earnings call on Aug. 22. “Our merchants have been creative and acted with urgency to avoid what would have been additional pressure for our customers and members.”

In Walmart’s second-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that its U.S. comparable sales increased by 4.6% year-over-year. Also, according to recent data from Placer.ai, Walmart’s foot traffic in stores climbed by 1% during the quarter.

R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, told TheStreet in a statement that based on recent earnings and store foot traffic trends, retailers nationwide will likely face a “challenging environment ahead” as more consumers seek value.

“The consumer is cautious but still spending, creating mixed retail visitation trends,” said Hottovy.

Walmart+ expands generous offer to customers 

As Walmart doubles down on retaining customers, it has recently shifted its focus to attracting shoppers to its Walmart+ membership service, which launched in 2020. The service is $12.95 a month and offers customers perks such as free grocery delivery, discounted gas prices, access to Paramount+, etc.

In addition to these perks, Walmart+ has expanded its streaming benefits. Starting Sept. 15, Walmart+ members will have the option to pick between a Paramount+ Essential subscription or a Peacock Premium subscription for free.

They will also be able to switch between the two streaming services at no extra cost every 90 days.

“The additional option of Peacock Premium adds even more value and more choice to our membership, without raising the price,” said Walmart+ Senior Vice President Deepak Maini in a press release. 

“By offering the ability to switch between two top-tier video streaming services, we’re empowering our members to customize their entertainment experience and enjoy significant savings. This is just one of the many ways we’re evolving Walmart+ to meet the needs and wants of today’s consumer.”

Related: Target stores will soon undergo big changes as shoppers pull back

The addition of Peacock to Walmart+ comes after the streaming service issued a price hike in July. Peacock's ad-supported Premium plan increased from $7.99 a month to $10.99 a month, and its ad-free Premium Plus tier is now $16.99 a month, up from $13.99. 

So this added perk will give Walmart+ members an opportunity to save money as Peacock becomes more expensive. 

Walmart+ is becoming a growing threat to Amazon

The move from Walmart+ emerges as it becomes a growing threat to its top rival Amazon  (AMZN) , which offers its members free one-day shipping and access to streaming services such as Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, HBO Max, and Starz.

In June, Walmart expanded its drone delivery service to five cities across the country: Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Tampa, and Orlando, vowing to deliver orders to customers at a faster pace.

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Walmart also revealed during its earnings call last month that it grew its Walmart+ membership income by double digits during the second quarter this year.

Both Walmart+ and Amazon are gaining steam among consumers. According to a recent survey from PYMNTS Intelligence, 12.4% of consumers reported subscribing to both Amazon Prime and Walmart+ as of December 2021. 

However, that figure almost doubled to 23.9% by February of this year.

Despite both membership services seeing increased consumer demand, Amazon Prime still has a leg up over Walmart+.

The survey found that 43.3% of consumers use Amazon as their only service among the two, compared to the 3.7% who only use Walmart+.

“In general, Walmart dominates grocery buying across all income groups,” reads the PYMNTS Intelligence report. “Amazon’s strength lies in online discretionary retail, not groceries. Dual subscribers and Prime-only members continue turning to Amazon for nonessential, higher-ticket items, reinforcing the divide.”

Related: Walmart makes drastic move to keep customers from fleeing stores