Walmart's Amazon Prime rival is reportedly set to launch this month

• Walmart is reportedly set to launch Walmart+ — the company's answer to Amazon Prime.
• Recode's Jason Del Ray reported that Walmart + will go live later in July, after the coronavirus pandemic delayed its initial springtime launch.
• A Walmart spokesperson declined to provide further comment about Walmart+ to Business Insider.

Walmart will reportedly unroll its answer to Amazon Prime later this month, in the retail giant's latest bid to dominate e-commerce and fend off its online, Seattle-based rival.

Reporting for Recode, Jason Del Ray wrote that the retail giant scrapped a springtime launch due to the coronavirus pandemic and that details around the nature of the July rollout are "unclear." Perks of the $98 monthly subscription service may include gas discounts, members-only deals, and unlimited same-day delivery for groceries and other merchandise.

A Walmart spokesperson declined to provide further comment about Walmart+ to Business Insider. Back in February, a Walmart representative confirmed to Business Insider that the company was working to create a new membership program called Walmart+.

The reported upcoming launch of Walmart+ arrives at a time when e-commerce and online fulfillment is important to coronavirus-wary shoppers. According to Recode, one proposed benefit of Walmart+ features giving subscribers priority treatment when it comes to grocery delivery slots, which have become increasingly crucial for consumers during the pandemic.

The upcoming launch also signals Walmart's latest barrage in retail's battle for delivery dominance and consumer loyalty. The Motley Fool reported in June that eMarketer found Walmart beat out eBay in terms of its share of online sales in the United States in May.

Walmart+ would prove the Arkansas-based retailer yet another opportunity to flex its e-commerce muscles and offer a competitive alternative to Amazon's Amazon Prime service.