Photo - Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club plans to open a new warehouse club next year in Florida. It will be the first new club the chain has opened since 2017.
The second largest warehouse club chain in the U.S. last week said it intends to add 30 new clubs “over the next several years” as it seeks to build on “historic comparable sales growth” sustained since the outset of the pandemic.
“We've seen remarkable growth over the past few years with a record number of members, and we're excited to bring the experience of Sam’s Club to even more markets as we expand our footprint,” Sam’s president and CEO Kathryn McLay said in a statement. “And as we open new clubs in new locations, we’ll continue to innovate so that our members shop and save whether in person or online.”
Sam’s may not have opened new clubs in recent years, but it has invested in its existing locations to make them more welcoming to its members. The majority of the chain’s 600 clubs have been remodeled to be brighter and easier to get around. Service desks have been upgraded to better serve customers and Sam’s Scan & Go checkout technology has found favor with members as have its Scan & Go Fuel and Scan & Ship apps.
The new clubs, which at 160,000 square feet will be about 20,000 square feet larger than the chain’s current warehouses, will include “a significant expansion in the omni-fulfillment footprint allowing for a dedicated space for curbside pickup, delivery to home and ship from club orders.”
Sam’s had been “playing” with curbside pickup before the pandemic, Ms. McLay said in 2021, but quickly made the decision to expedite it when COVID-19 lockdowns were being put in place. Sam’s rolled out the service nationwide in seven weeks. Clubs charge Standard members $4 to pick up orders. Plus members enjoy the service at no additional cost.
Most of the new clubs will include a seafood/sushi island, full-service floral and walk-in dairy and fresh coolers. Sam’s is giving more space for healthcare services to accommodate a larger patient waiting area, health services suites, private consultation rooms and dedicated hearing and optical centers.
The retailer also plans to open five new fulfillment and distribution centers this year as part of a multiyear transformation of its supply chain. The facilities will feature state-of-the-art automation and robotics.
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- Will Sam’s Club customers be okay with paying a higher membership fee? – RetailWire