Endcaps & Insights | Retail Blog

Will Shoppers Ditch Amazon for Walmart's Free 2-Day Shipping? [Survey]

Written by Field Agent | Feb 8, 2017

When Walmart makes a move, any move, people take notice.

When Amazon makes a move, any move, people take notice.

But when one of these retail juggernauts moves against the other, as Walmart did last week by implementing free, two-day shipping on online purchases of $35 or more

People really take notice.

 

Quick-Fire Q&A: Will Customers Ditch Amazon for Walmart’s Free Two-Day Shipping?

 

This weekend, Field Agent surveyed 1,015 verified Amazon customers to understand their attitudes and behavioral intentions toward Walmart’s new, free two-day shipping policy.

The mobile solutions company screened its expansive panel of almost one million U.S.-based agents to locate and target regular Amazon customers. To participate, agents were required to submit a photo documenting their association with Amazon (e.g., online purchase history).

Below we offer the results from this timely survey as a three-question Quick-Fire Q&A.

 

See Also: Are Shoppers Ready for Drone Delivery? Download the Free Report!

 

1. Will Amazon customers start shopping at Walmart.com more?

 

As the chart shows, 44% of Amazon customers in the survey said they’re completely or very likely to start shopping at Walmart.com more frequently, now that two-day shipping is free.

But what about Amazon’s best customers? Field Agent also calculated results for Amazon Prime members (n = 683) as well as Amazon’s very best customers (Prime members who spend at least 75% of their total online dollars at Amazon; n = 397).

As the chart displays, these groups, too, say they’re relatively likely to start shopping more at Walmart.com.

 

 

2. Will these customers start spending less with Amazon and more with Walmart.com?  

 

In other words, given Walmart’s newly-unveiled free two-day shipping, will Amazon customers spend less with the eTailer in favor of Walmart.com?

Altogether, 16% of the combined sample said it’s completely or very likely, while 12% of Prime members and 9% of Amazon’s “best” customers answered likewise.

 

 

 

3. Will shoppers switch from Amazon.com as their primary online retailer to Walmart.com?

 

Combined, 12% (figures in the chart are rounded) reported they’re completely or very likely to move over to Walmart.com as their primary online retailer, now that free two-day shipping is available. 7% of Prime members and 6% of Amazon’s “best” customers demonstrated a similar inclination to switch.

Note: The results for this question reflect only those agents who consider Amazon their primary online retailer (n = 973).

 

 

See also: Field Agent Blog Cracks the Top 10 in Feedspot's Ranking of Best Market Research Blogs on the Planet. Subscribe Today!

 

Packing It Up: Concluding Thoughts

 

Naturally, what shoppers say they’ll do and what they actually do are two different matters. Yet this survey offers a fast indication of how Amazon customers may react to Walmart’s free two-day shipping.

Results suggest the policy change could, indeed, eat into Amazon sales, while signficantly bolstering Walmart.com sales. Yet for the vast majority of Amazon’s most stalwart customers, free shipping by itself does not appear sufficient to shake their allegiance to the world’s largest online retailer.

 

Delivery-by-Drone: Are Shoppers Primed?

 

Drone delivery seems inevitable at this point. But what do shoppers think about it?

Mobile solutions firm Field Agent surveyed 2,000 shoppers to understand their attitudes and behavioral intentions toward drone delivery. Download the free report, “Buy & Fly Retail.”