Walmart executives have said the retailer sees its membership program, Walmart+, as a growth platform to build durable loyalty, and one of its most popular perks has been its 10-cents-per-gallon fuel discount at more than 13,000 gas stations.

With members coming in to save money at the gas pump, Walmart’s plan seems to be working. Members are increasingly relying on the subscription service—which also offers free same-day delivery and free next-day and two-day shipping—for its fuel discounts, driving higher engagement and reinforcing the value of the retailer’s loyalty program beyond standard perks.

During a recent exclusive chat in Bentonville, Arkansas, Deepak Maini, SVP and general manager of Walmart+ membership, told Retail Brew its members are returning more frequently for gas and leaning on Walmart+ for its fuel benefits to cushion the global surge in gasoline prices. While gas prices are starting to come down, the American shopper has had to contend with paying roughly 50% more in the last few months.

“We see them come back and fuel more,” Maini said. “The utilization is improving. It’s growing, especially in this time, so we know that they’re relying on this to save more.”

Keep reading here.—VC

The first day of Amazon’s Prime Day sales event is in the books, and the early numbers look promising.

Adobe reported that June 23 (Tuesday) became the biggest online shopping day of 2026 in the US. Shoppers spent $8.3 billion with retailers online, a 5.3% jump over the first day of Prime Day last year.

Spending is already tracking ahead of Adobe’s forecast of $26.3 billion across the four-day event, which would mark a 9% increase from last July’s Prime Day. Big-box retailers—including Walmart, Target, and Best Buy—are all stretching out their sales events alongside the early and extended version of Prime Day.

“I’m seeing Amazon sellers already breaking last year’s Prime Day record,” Jon Elder, CEO and founder at Black Label Advisor, wrote in a LinkedIn post. “This one is going to be historic. Stop listening to the haters online.”

Keep reading here.—VC

NBA players have long held massive cultural sway in the US. In the case of the 2025-26 New York Knicks, they’ll probably never pay for a drink in the city again. As a result, brands flock to the league to develop marketing campaigns featuring athletes—but oftentimes, players find themselves in the passenger seat of those agreements.

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) wants to change that.

The players’ association is rolling out its first consumer-facing commercial brand, Plyrs Untd, which is designed to give its members greater stake and control over their names, images, and likenesses in merch, content, and partnerships.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—AM

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