As Bloomberg notes, the move is likely a response to similar Amazon programs introduced in the past. Just before the holiday shopping season in 2017, Amazon rolled out "Discount provided by Amazon," which cuts the prices of third-party products without affecting the money sellers get. A few weeks ago, the e-commerce giant also introduced "Sold by Amazon," which allows Amazon to slash third-party product prices in exchange for a guaranteed payout.

Whether or not Walmart's strategy is enough to give Amazon a run for its money -- especially since it's available to "selected sellers and selected items only" -- remains to be seen. Either way, companies competing to offer the lowest prices possible by offering deep discounts sounds like a win for buyers looking for the best deals these holidays.