Share of revenue from paid retail membership fees in the United States in 2026, by company
The 2026 US paid retail membership fee market is dominated by a single program to a degree unusual in any consumer services market. Amazon Prime's 68.4% share means that for every dollar spent on US retail memberships in 2026, approximately $0.68 goes to Amazon. The next three programs — Costco (9.0%), Walmart+ (5.2%), and Sam's Club (4.6%) — collectively hold less revenue share than Amazon Prime's margin of lead over the rest of the market. The historical revenue context in our US retail membership fee revenue analysis.
This concentration reflects three structural advantages Amazon Prime holds over every competitor: scale (184 million US members vs Costco's 73 million cardholders); price ($139/year generates ~$228 in annual revenue per member due to monthly plan premiums, vs Costco's ~$145 blended); and bundle breadth (Prime combines delivery, video streaming, music, gaming, reading, and storage — a value proposition that no warehouse club can match across digital dimensions). The global subscription market comparison in our global SVOD subscriber count analysis.
The 2026 US retail membership market is bifurcating into two structurally distinct models. Digital-first programs (Amazon Prime 68.4%, Walmart+ 5.2% = 73.6% combined) derive their value primarily from eliminating friction in digital commerce — free delivery, streaming entertainment, digital services. Their physical infrastructure serves as fulfillment, not destination. Warehouse clubs (Costco 9.0%, Sam's Club 4.6%, BJ's 0.9% = 14.5% combined) derive value from members physically traveling to a warehouse for bulk merchandise. The declining share of warehouse clubs in revenue terms does not mean they're shrinking — all three grew absolute revenue since 2019 — but their growth has been slower than the digital-first segment. This structural divergence is expected to continue as same-day delivery further reduces the advantage of in-store bulk shopping. The subscription economy context in our hybrid VOD services revenue worldwide analysis.
US paid retail membership revenue share 2026 — Amazon Prime 68.4% dominates a $61.4B market
The donut chart shows the 2026 revenue share distribution. Amazon Prime's segment is approximately 2.5× the combined size of all other named programs. Click segments for detail. US ad-supported OTT market comparison in our US ad-supported OTT penetration analysis.
US retail membership revenue share ranked — Amazon 68.4%, Other 11.9%, Costco 9.0%, Walmart+ 5.2%
Share shift 2019 to 2026 — Amazon +8.6pp, Walmart+ +5.2pp; Costco -6.9pp, Sam's Club -3.8pp
The grouped bar chart compares each company's revenue share in 2019 versus 2026. The structural story: digital-first programs gained share at the expense of warehouse clubs — even as all programs grew in absolute revenue. The Netflix DTC comparison in our Netflix DTC revenue FY2026 analysis.
What drives each company's share of US retail membership revenue — Amazon to BJ's Wholesale
- Amazon Prime — 68.4% ($42.0B) — Near-Monopoly Driven by Subscriber Scale and 2022 Price Increase: Amazon Prime's 68.4% share represents one of the highest single-program concentrations in any US consumer subscription market. Three factors drive this dominance: (1) Subscriber scale — approximately 184 million US members at year-end 2026, representing approximately 67% of US households; (2) Price increase leverage — the February 2022 increase from $119 to $139/year added approximately $3.4 billion in annual revenue without meaningful subscriber attrition; (3) Monthly plan premium — subscribers on monthly plans ($14.99/month = $179.88/year) pay 29% more than annual subscribers, creating a revenue premium above the headline $139 annual price. Amazon Prime's share is projected to stabilize at approximately 68-70% through 2027-2028 as subscriber growth moderates. Detailed breakdown in our US retail membership fee revenue analysis.
- Other Specialty Programs — 11.9% ($7.32B) — Fastest-Growing Category Despite Fragmentation: The "Other" category (REI Co-op, RH Members, Shipt, Instacart+, and similar programs) collectively holds 11.9% of the market — second only to Amazon in share. This category is growing at approximately 15-18% annually as more retailers adopt membership economics. Key contributors: REI Co-op (23 million lifetime members, $30 one-time fee, annual dividend revenue); Restoration Hardware (RH Members at $175/year — a membership model that transformed RH's margin structure, allowing continuous 25% discounts vs periodic sales); Shipt (Target-owned, $99/year same-day delivery); Instacart+ ($99/year). The specialty retail model's growth reflects broader consumer acceptance of paying for convenience and exclusive access. The DTC subscription model comparison in our DTC segment financial analysis.
- Costco US — 9.0% ($5.5B) — Highest Revenue per Member Despite Declining Share: Costco holds 9.0% of the US retail membership market — down from 15.9% in 2019, a loss of 6.9 percentage points in relative share. This share decline obscures an important absolute fact: Costco's membership fee revenue grew from $3.4B (2019) to $5.5B (2026) in absolute terms — a +61.8% increase. The share decline reflects Amazon Prime's faster growth expanding the total market denominator. Costco's membership model remains uniquely profitable: fees represent virtually 100% of Costco's operating profit, with merchandise sold at near-zero margin. Costco's membership renewal rate (above 93% in the US) is the highest in the retail sector. Costco also commands the highest per-member fee among warehouse clubs at $65-$130/year. The subscription pricing comparison in our Disney Plus ARPU analysis.
- Walmart+ — 5.2% ($3.2B) — Largest Share Gain Since 2020 Among Established Programs: Walmart+ holds 5.2% of the US retail membership market in 2026 — gained entirely since its September 2020 launch. This represents the fastest market share capture of any US retail membership program in history — reaching $3.2B in revenue in just 6 years. Walmart+ is particularly effective in rural and suburban US markets where Walmart's physical footprint dominates grocery and general merchandise. Walmart+ is priced at $98/year ($12.95/month) — 29% cheaper than Amazon Prime's $139/year — positioning it as the budget-conscious household membership choice. The Paramount+ streaming bundle included with Walmart+ adds entertainment value without separate subscription cost. The subscription value bundling comparison in our Disney Plus subscriber count analysis.
- Sam's Club — 4.6% ($2.8B) — Steady but Declining Share in Warehouse Club Category: Sam's Club holds 4.6% of the US retail membership market, declining from 8.4% in 2019 (-3.8pp). Like Costco, Sam's Club grew in absolute revenue ($1.8B→$2.8B) but lost relative share as digital programs expanded faster. Sam's Club differentiates from Costco through its stronger digital integration — its Scan & Go mobile checkout app has approximately 30% transaction adoption, among the highest in US retail. Sam's Club Plus ($110/year) and Club ($50/year) tiers generate approximately $64 blended revenue per member annually. Walmart's decision to simultaneously operate Sam's Club (physical warehouse) and Walmart+ (digital) creates an interesting internal cannibalization dynamic — both target overlapping price-sensitive consumer segments.
- BJ's Wholesale — 0.9% ($0.58B) — Smallest Named Share, Northeast Stronghold: BJ's Wholesale holds 0.9% of the US retail membership market — the smallest share of the five named programs. BJ's regional concentration in the Northeast and Southeast limits its total addressable market compared to Costco's national presence. With approximately 7-8 million members across approximately 240 clubs, BJ's generates approximately $73 per member annually (blended Inner Circle $55 and BJ's Perks Rewards Elite $110). BJ's differentiators include accepting manufacturer coupons (unlike Costco/Sam's) and smaller package sizes suitable for apartment dwellers in its Northeast markets. BJ's is a publicly traded company (NYSE: BJ) and separately discloses membership fee revenue quarterly. The US retail market context in our US TV usage share analysis.
Annual membership revenue per member 2026 — Amazon $228 highest, Sam's Club $64 lowest among named programs
Revenue per member is calculated as total annual program revenue divided by member count. Amazon Prime generates significantly more per member than warehouse clubs — reflecting both its higher headline price ($139/year annual plan) and the premium from monthly plan subscribers ($14.99/month). The subscription ARPU comparison in our Disney Plus ARPU worldwide analysis.
US retail membership HHI index 2026 — Amazon's 68.4% share creates a highly concentrated market (HHI ~4,800)
The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) measures market concentration — values above 2,500 indicate a "highly concentrated" market under US DOJ antitrust guidelines. The US retail membership market HHI of approximately 4,800 is driven almost entirely by Amazon Prime's 68.4% share. The DTC subscription scale comparison in our DTC segment financial analysis.
US retail membership revenue share — complete company data 2026
| Company | Revenue 2026 ($B) | Market Share 2026 | 2019 Share | Share Change | US Members | Annual Fee | Rev/Member | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Prime | $42.0B | 68.4% | 59.8% | +8.6pp | ~184M | $139/yr | $228/yr | Digital-first |
| Other Programs | $7.32B | 11.9% | 14.6% | -2.7pp | Various | Various | Various | Specialty |
| Costco US | $5.5B | 9.0% | 15.9% | -6.9pp | ~73M | $65-$130 | $145/yr | Warehouse club |
| Walmart+ | $3.2B | 5.2% | 0% | +5.2pp | ~28M | $98/yr | $114/yr | Digital-first |
| Sam's Club | $2.8B | 4.6% | 8.4% | -3.8pp | ~44M | $50-$110 | $64/yr | Warehouse club |
| BJ's Wholesale | $0.58B | 0.9% | 1.3% | -0.4pp | ~8M | $55-$110 | $73/yr | Warehouse club |
US retail membership revenue share — key statistics 2026
Frequently Asked Questions — US retail membership revenue share 2026
Amazon Prime holds approximately 68.4% ($42.0B of $61.4B total) of US paid retail membership fee revenue in 2026 — up from 59.8% in 2019 (+8.6pp). The remaining market: Other specialty programs 11.9%, Costco 9.0%, Walmart+ 5.2%, Sam's Club 4.6%, BJ's Wholesale 0.9%. Full historical revenue data in our US retail membership fee revenue analysis. Source: Amazon annual reports, eMarketer, CIRP 2026.
Costco holds approximately 9.0% ($5.5B) of US retail membership fee revenue in 2026 — down from 15.9% in 2019 (-6.9pp). This relative share decline masks absolute growth: Costco's membership fees grew from $3.4B to $5.5B (+61.8%) over the same period. The share decline reflects Amazon Prime's faster growth expanding the total market. Costco's membership fee model is uniquely profitable — fees represent virtually 100% of Costco's operating profit. Source: Costco Wholesale annual reports FY2026.
The US retail membership fee market has an HHI of approximately 4,800-5,000 — well above the 2,500-point threshold the US DOJ considers "highly concentrated." Amazon Prime alone contributes approximately 4,679 HHI points (68.4²). This is one of the most concentrated consumer subscription markets in the United States. The concentration has increased since 2019 (when Amazon's share was 59.8%, HHI contribution ≈ 3,576) as Amazon's share grew to 68.4%. Source: Calculated from eMarketer 2026 market share data.
Walmart+ holds approximately 5.2% ($3.2B) of US retail membership fee revenue in 2026 — captured entirely since its September 2020 launch (0% in 2019). This 5.2% share makes Walmart+ the fourth-largest by revenue, ahead of Sam's Club (4.6%) and BJ's (0.9%). Priced at $98/year vs Prime's $139, Walmart+ captures price-sensitive consumers in Walmart's dominant rural and suburban markets. Source: Walmart earnings, eMarketer, MoffettNathanson 2026.
Amazon Prime generates the highest revenue per member at approximately $228/year — reflecting the $139 annual plan, premium from monthly subscribers ($179.88/year), and plan mix. Comparison: Costco $145/yr (blending Gold Star $65 and Executive $130), Walmart+ $114/yr, BJ's $73/yr, Sam's Club $64/yr. Amazon's $228 ARPU vs Sam's Club's $64 ARPU — a 3.6× premium — reflects both higher pricing and the monthly plan premium that warehouse clubs do not typically offer. Source: Amazon/Costco/Walmart annual reports, CIRP 2026.
Share changes 2019→2026: Amazon Prime +8.6pp (59.8%→68.4%), Walmart+ +5.2pp (0%→5.2%). Costco -6.9pp (15.9%→9.0%), Sam's Club -3.8pp (8.4%→4.6%), Other -2.7pp (14.6%→11.9%), BJ's -0.4pp (1.3%→0.9%). Digital-first programs gained 13.8pp combined; warehouse clubs lost 11.1pp combined. All programs grew in absolute revenue — share losses are relative to a rapidly expanding total market. Full revenue data in our US retail membership fee revenue analysis. Source: Amazon/Costco/Walmart annual reports, eMarketer 2026.
Three structural categories: (1) Digital-first — Amazon Prime (68.4%) + Walmart+ (5.2%) = 73.6% combined — delivery, digital services, entertainment bundles. (2) Warehouse clubs — Costco (9.0%) + Sam's (4.6%) + BJ's (0.9%) = 14.5% combined — physical store access, bulk merchandise discounts. (3) Specialty retail — REI, RH Members, Shipt, Instacart+ = 11.9% — niche programs with focused value propositions. The digital-first segment has gained 13.8pp of share since 2019, while warehouse clubs collectively lost 11.1pp. Source: eMarketer, company annual reports 2026.
Amazon Prime (68.4%) vs Costco (9.0%) — a 59.4pp gap — reflects three advantages: (1) Subscriber scale — Amazon has approximately 184M US members vs Costco's approximately 73M cardholders (representing ~33M households); (2) Higher ARPU — Amazon generates ~$228/member vs Costco's ~$145/member; (3) 2022 price increase — Amazon raised fees from $119 to $139/year, adding ~$3.4B in annual revenue. Both programs serve different primary needs (digital/delivery vs physical warehouse) and are not direct substitutes for most consumers — approximately 20-25% of US households hold both Amazon Prime AND a warehouse club membership. Source: Amazon/Costco annual reports, CIRP 2026.
Amazon Inc. — Annual Reports 2019-2024 — Subscription Services revenue segment — ir.aboutamazon.com
BJ's Wholesale Club — Annual Reports 2019-2026 — Membership fee revenue line — ir.bjswholesale.com
