Walmart is launching a $98/year Amazon Prime rival (but it's really a grocery war)

Darth Bezos sweating in his Prime Lair... Recode just reported that Walmart's own Amazon Prime-like subscription will launch this month. "Walmart+" (creative) is coming in hot at $98/year (Prime goes for $119). Here's how the reported perks stack up:

• Delivery: Unlimited same-day grocery/merch delivery, plus limited Express 2-hour delivery. Prime has free: 2-day shipping, same-day delivery in some ZIPs, and grocery delivery (in eligible regions).
• Discounts: Fuel discounts at Walmart gas stations, early access to product deals, and an available Walmart+ credit card. Prime has: Whole Foods discounts and some cash-back cards.
• Entertainment: Walmart's new entertainment platform (CAMP) features videos starring celebs (including LeBron). Walmart could gate it off for free to subscribers. Prime has: Prime Video and Music.

This is about securing the (grocery) bag... Walmart is the US market leader in groceries, which account for over 56% of its sales. Its online grocery biz drove a 41% jump in ecommerce sales last year. But gig and online competitors are creeping into Walmart's sacred shopping cart territory...

• Instacart: In August 2019, Walmart eclipsed Instacart with close to a 50% share of the egrocery market. But it slipped to 25% this March and Instacart soared to 57% share by April.
• Amazon: Over half of Walmart’s top-spending families now have Prime memberships. Walmart fears losing grocery customers to Amazon's egrocery.