On Wednesday, in a statement Walmart Inc said it would remove the $35 minimum order value for subscribers of its loyalty service for next-day or two-day shipping as it gears up for the holiday season online shopping.

The change, effective from Friday, applies only to items on its website and includes appliances, toys, and clothing, said Walmart; groceries delivered from stores will continue to attract the $35 minimum requirement.

Its loyalty subscription program, Walmart Plus, was launched just over two months ago aiming to attract new customers and make its existing ones more loyal.

Walmart Plus costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month.

With the coronavirus-induced COVID-19 pandemic seeing a surge across the United States, it has given rise to expectations that U.S. consumers will do the bulk of their holiday shopping online rather than visit stores.

“We just thought that now, in advance of the holidays, given where we are with the state of the pandemic, now is the absolute right time to have free shipping with no minimum,” said Janey Whiteside, Walmart’s chief customer officer.

According to the National Retail Federation, the number of online-only shoppers have jumped by 44% during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the United States.

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