Wal-Mart launches food subscription service

• Wal-Mart will offer food service to subscribers
• Monthly fee of $7
• Retail giant experimenting with different ways to cater to customers

NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores on Wednesday is officially launching its first mail subscription service, called Goodies, that lets shoppers discover new foods from the comfort of their homes.

For a monthly fee of $7 that includes tax and shipping, customers will receive a box of five to eight hand-picked samples, ranging from organic to ethnic products that are not currently carried on Wal-Mart's shelves. If customers like the products, they can purchase full-size versions on www.goodies.co.

Wal-Mart (WMT) told reporters in late May that its research division — called Walmart Labs — was creating a food subscription service, but it didn't offer many details.

Wal-Mart's move into subscription services comes as it's experimenting with different ways to cater to its customers.