(BPT) - By Venessa Yates, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+
At Walmart, we put the customer at the center of everything we do; after all, our purpose is "helping people save money and live better." Those aren't hollow words, either. Through first-party data and insights, we're deepening our understanding of the wants and needs of our customers to deliver more relevant and personalized experiences with that singular purpose in mind.
Nowhere is that more evident than what we're providing our members through Walmart+. Launched during the COVID pandemic, Walmart+ was our answer to the needs of families across the nation, using the strength of our 4,600 store locations to offer more options and build deeper, more trusted relationships with our customers. That rings just as true today as we continue to add value to Walmart+ without increasing the price.
We're doing it all while keeping our "save money" promise at the heart of our offering. For as little as 30 cents a day, our members enjoy unlimited same-day deliveries and shipping on millions of items and Early Access to events. The savings go beyond our stores too, with fuel discounts at more than 13,000 gas stations across the country and the ability to get up to 5% Walmart Cash with trips booked on Walmart+ Travel. Members even get access to thousands of movies, original series, and more with an included Paramount+ subscription, at no extra cost.
We're listening to our members to identify new benefits they tell us will also help them "live better." We've learned from our members that meal preparation can be challenging, so we partnered with Burger King to offer a daily 25% discount and a free Whopper every three months. We've also introduced a free online pet care benefit from Pawp that provides our members with round-the-clock access to veterinary experts. Initially tested as a limited-time offer, the overwhelmingly positive response from our members made it a clear choice for an everyday benefit.
And since we promise to help people "save money AND live better," some benefits are giving our members the best of both. Over half of Walmart customers expressed a desire to have their prescriptions delivered along with their groceries and other items they need in a single online order. So, we'll be rolling out free delivery on Pharmacy orders, which will be available to all Walmart+ members next year. We're also taking some of the pain out of the returns process through Returns from Home. Members simply request a return through their account, and a driver will come to their home to pick it up.
Next year will mark our fifth year of Walmart's membership offering and while I can't believe how far we've come, we're really just getting started. We're redefining what membership means by listening to how our members define it, so they can "save money and live better" in a way that's truest to them. To put it plainly, we're harnessing the power of our purpose to infuse more personal significance into their membership. Their Walmart+.
