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Sam's Club concept store will be test bed for mobile-first customer experience

October 29, 2018

Sam's Club is putting the finishing touches on a high-tech concept store, a 32,000-square-foot location called Sam's Club Now, in Dallas, that will serve as a test bed for a mobile-first shopping experience.

The store will tap the retailer's Scan and Go app, according to a blog post from Jamie Iannone, president of SamsClub.com and executive vice president of membership and technology. The app allows smartphone users to automatically update digital shopping lists, instantly navigate store aisles using voice recognition to find an individual product category and augmented reality to help customers explore product features. Customers will be able to order and pick up items using the app within an hour, the post said. 

A specific store launch date was not provided in the blog post. Sam's Club announced the store concept this past June.

Instead of traditional store associates, the location will feature Member Hosts — employees armed with digital tools who can serve like digital concierges and help customers through the experience. 

Sam's Club Now will use electronic shelf labels, which will automatically update inventory prices and eliminate traditional signs. The stores will have more than 700 digital cameras to help manage inventory and make it easier to get around the location. The Sam's Club Now store will be about one quarter the size of a traditional Sam's Club location. 

Iannone noted that regular use of Scan and Go, which was introduced in 2016, is up 40 percent this year and he added that 90 percent of customers who use the app try it again on their next trip.