Walmart is betting that consumers will consider signing up for its premium membership tier in order to get free fast food.
This week during Walmart+ Week, Walmart+ members are able to get a free Burger King Croissan’wich or Whopper Jr with a $1 purchase.
The partnership with Burger King has been in the works since August 2024. During a Goldman Sachs tech conference in September 2024, Walmart's then-Chief Revenue Officer Seth Dallaire talked about the importance of continuing to spice up the benefits offered to Walmart+ members—which included perks like Paramount+ as well as discounts with partners like Burger King.
“Those third-party benefits are important components of the [Walmart+] membership program because we want to make sure that we’re meeting the member across all sorts of aspects of their lives, even if it’s not immediately in the context of shopping,” said Dallaire, who is now Walmart’s executive vice president and chief growth officer.
“We’re going to take cues from members around what types of benefits are most interesting to them,” he added.
Walmart+ members receive 25% off any Burger King order every day, as well as a free flame-grilled Whopper every three months with any purchase.
Walmart said the partnership is designed to save members time and money. And it’s also a play to help consumers struggling with continued high food costs.
The BK partnership is another way Walmart is trying to keep up with rival Amazon. Last May, Amazon Prime members received free access to Grubhub on the Amazon app and website.
Burger King and Walmart+ will look to add future deals for members, according to a Burger King spokesperson.
“Walmart+ and Burger King share a similar purpose of providing guests with high-quality products, value and convenience, so the partnership that was introduced last August was a natural fit and continues to be a great way to provide members of both loyalty programs with even more value,” said Burger King in an emailed statement to Supermarket News.
It's no surprise that Walmart would be eager to expand its membership base. At its investor meeting two weeks ago, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer said total digital spend from the Walmart+ membership base has grown at a rate of over 50% over the last year.
Walmart + week runs through Sunday. Other offerings during Walmart+ Week include:
Free express delivery with a $35 minimum
$5 in Walmart Cash when using mobile scan & go in-store
50 cents off per gallon at participating Exxon/Mobile locations
Members can earn Walmart Cash by redeeming two Walmart+ Week offers
A free six-month Paramount+ with Showtime subscription
This story originally appeared in sister publication Supermarket News.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.