Washington – New insight into consumer attitudes toward bundled retail memberships from big box stores like Costco, Amazon Prime, BJs, and Walmart+ reveals impressive customer satisfaction with memberships, which save consumers $1.6 billion annually. The research demonstrates that despite recent allegations of consumer harm, survey data shows that big box retail memberships boost consumer welfare and the U.S. economy.
The CCIA Research Center study conducted by Analysis Group finds that consumers enjoy the features included retail memberships and subscribe to multiple memberships. For example, big box store members are 54% likely to subscribe to another big-box membership, with 81% of respondents reporting 2 or more paid retail memberships. While large retailers undergo historic government scrutiny, the data shows that consumers are satisfied with product choices and prices. In fact, 62% of respondents reported Amazon Prime memberships – 84% of which had another paid membership with at least 1 of the 4 big box stores studied.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for policy that promotes consumer welfare for over 50 years.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Chief Economist and Research Center Director Trevor Wagener:
“Our survey finds that consumers are saving billions each year through paid retail membership bundles, and most consumers subscribe to multiple paid retail memberships. We find that no one retail membership bundle can meet the heterogeneous preferences of consumers, and so competition between bundles remains intense, with consumers reaping the benefits.”