Walmart reported a 17% year-over-year increase in membership fee revenue in its third quarter, driven by strong growth in Walmart+ and Sam’s Club memberships. The membership business now contributes roughly one-third of the company’s adjusted operating income, up from 28% a year ago, as higher renewal rates and new enrollments offset pressure on retail margins. Management noted that average revenue per member rose by 5%, reflecting targeted promotional offers and the introduction of premium delivery options that carry higher fees.

On December 30, more than 6,500 customers reported difficulties accessing Walmart’s e-commerce services, according to Downdetector. Approximately 75% of those affected experienced issues on the mobile app, while the remainder were unable to load key pages on the website or complete checkout. The outage, which lasted around 45 minutes during peak evening hours, highlighted the importance of maintaining 99.999% system uptime; even brief disruptions can translate into millions of dollars in lost sales for the world’s largest retailer. Walmart has not disclosed the root cause but is reviewing its cloud-based infrastructure to prevent future interruptions.