The Supply Side: Walmart, Sam’s Club battle for business customers

Walmart’s sister company Sam’s Club again finds itself battling the big dog with the recent launch of Walmart Business, an e-commerce site geared to serve large- and small-business customers.

When Sam Walton founded the wholesale club model 39 years ago, his mission was to “Be in business for small business.” The Sam’s Club model was borrowed from Sol Price, founder of Costco, and Walton was known to have said, “imitation is the ultimate form of flattery.”

Sam’s Club has evolved and now looks to focus just as much on busy and larger families and higher-income households, but the focus on business customers remains in the background.

Organizations that upgrade to a Walmart Business+ membership, at a price of $98 per year, have access to additional benefits. Those members also get free shipping with no minimums, free pickup and delivery from the store with a $35 minimum order, 2% rewards on orders of $250 or more and 4% savings on eligible items.

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