Minnesota Walmart Shoppers Upset Over New Service Fee

Walmart finished last in the latest annual ranking of customer satisfaction of American grocery chains. It’s America’s least favorite grocery store and I’m not surprised. I hear people here in Minnesota complaining about having to go there or making fun of the “people of Walmart” all of the time.

But people are still shopping there. A lot of people shop at Walmart. In 2024, the retail giant reported $684 billion in revenue and said 225 million people shopped at their stores or on its website every week.

The griping got a lot louder this week with the introduction of a service fee that has upset many Minnesota shoppers. In response to the backlash, Walmart issued a comment on the extra charge. Read more about the new fee and what Walmart said about it below.

Scott Olson, Getty Images

How Often Do People Go To Walmart?

The average Walmart shopper spends $54 each time they visit the store according to Nasdaq. That seems low to me, I feel like I drop a couple hundred every time I shop there. That story also says we go to Walmart 63 times a year on average.

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Minnesota Walmart Locations:

Walmart currently has over 10,000 stores across the world including 68 in Minnesota.

Albert Lea
Alexandria
Andover
Apple Valley
Austin
Baxter
Bemidji
Blaine (2)
Bloomington
Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Park
Buffalo
Burnsville
Cambridge
Cloquet
Coon Rapids
Cottage Grove
Crookston
Detroit Lakes
Dilworth
Eagan
Eden Prairie
Elk River
Fairmont
Faribault
Fergus Falls
Forest Lake
Fridley
Grand Rapids
Hastings
Hermantown
Hibbing
Hutchinson
Inver Grove Heights
Lakeville
Mankato
Maple Grove
Maplewood
Marshall
Minneapolis (2)
Monticello
Moorhead
New Ulm
North Branch
Oakdale
Owatonna
Plymouth
Ramsey
Red Wing
Richfield
Rochester (2)
Rogers
Rosemount
Roseville
Sartell
Shakopee
Spring Lake Park
St. Cloud
St. Louis Park
St. Paul
Stillwater
Virginia
Waconia
Wabasha
West St. Paul
Willmar
Winona
Woodbury

What Is Walmart’s New “Basket Fee”?

Walmart

Walmart is now charging its Walmart+ Assist customers $6.99 for online orders that are less than $35. This additional fee is tacked on to pickup and delivery orders, but it does not apply to in-store purchases. Walmart+ Assist members are the only ones being charged this fee.

What Is Walmart+ Assist?

Walmart+ Assist gives people who receive government assistance (like SNAP or Medicaid) a 50% discount on their Walmart+ membership.

A Walmart spokesperson defended the fee to Mashable by explaining this type of charge is a common practice among other retailers, such as Target, for online grocery orders.