Courtesy of Walmart
April 21, 2025
Should Sam’s Club Go Fully Scan & Go?
Sam’s Club plans to slowly replace its traditional and self-checkout lanes across its nearly 600 stores with Scan & Go, Just Go exit technology.
The decision to phase in Scan & Go technology was revealed by Sam’s Club’s executive team at Walmart’s 2025 Investment Community Meeting on April 9 and follows the positive reception to the opening of a store in Grapevine, Texas, focused solely on Scan & Go checkout.
Shoppers use the Scan & Go smartphone app to scan and pay for their purchases. As they exit, the AI-powered technology verifies purchases, eliminating the need for receipt checkers. At the Grapevine location, the space normally used for registers is used for fulfilling online and curbside pickup orders.
No timeline was given on the transition to Scan & Go, but Sam’s Club officials indicated that all new stores and remodels will rely on Scan & Go. In a statement, Sam’s Club said it “plans to remodel all 600 of its existing clubs, with the newly opened Grapevine, Texas, location setting the standard for the club of the future.”
At the investor meeting, Chris Nicholas, CEO of Sam’s Club U.S., said Scan & Go — which first rolled out in April 2024 — has quickly become a “top reason” to join Sam’s Club and renew.
The technology has an NPS (net promoter score) over 90, with three-quarters of members using the technology. The checkout technology particularly appeals to younger consumers, with Gen Zers and millennials making up about half of Sam’s Club’s new members.
“Innovative technologies like Scan & Go act as the connective tissue between the online and physical world, and our members love it,” said Nicholas. “Scan & Go is a win for the members because it simplifies their shopping experience by allowing them to bypass the traditional checkout line.”
Nicholas added that Scan & Go offers a “distinctive competitive advantage” for Sam’s Club. He said, “We can personalize the shopping experience while they are physically in the club. Who else can do that? What is even more exciting is that members who shop Scan & Go are twice as likely to then shop online with us.”
Scan-and-go technology, whether via smartphone app or store-provided handheld devices, has a mixed track record.
Wegmans in 2022 discontinued the use of its SCAN app due to high shoplifting rates, although social media reactions showed many customers appreciated the convenience. Hy-Vee discontinued its self-scanning app in early 2023 due to low use.
Sam’s Club will also have to accommodate the approximately 10% of Americans who don’t own a smartphone.
Scan & Go still appeals to the same customers who prefer self-checkout stations to staffed checkout due to speed, and they promise to be even faster because self-scanning on mobile devices avoids the self-checkout terminal line.
CivicScience data from last fall found three in 10 U.S. consumers used scan-and-go tech when shopping in a store in the prior six months, including 48% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 41% of 25- to 34-year-olds.
Discussion Questions
Do you see Sam’s Club gaining a competitive advantage or taking too much risk in phasing in Scan & Go checkout across stores?
What do you see as the pros and cons of the technology for in-store shoppers and retailers?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Lisa Taylor
Retail Consultant, JL Buchanan
Mark Ryski
Founder, CEO & Author, HeadCount Corporation
John Hennessy
Retail and Brand Technology Tailor
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Traditional checkouts have always been inefficient. They use store space, they add to time, and they create labor costs. Ditching them makes some sense, especially if it is done in a simple way such as scan and go, rather than via the over-engineering of just walk-out technology. The slight problem is that some shoppers like checkouts – for ease and also the interaction. Admittedly, this is probably less of the case in a warehouse club than in a traditional grocer.
The QOD is confusing: are we concerned they’re going too slow…or too fast? Or that they’re doing it at all? I won’t presume to know more about Sam’s Club’s operations that they do, and unless they opt for getting rid of checkers altogther – which I would see as a mistake – I’ll leave them free to seek the optimal mix.
By allowing customers to skip traditional checkout lines, Scan & Go provides a more convenient and faster shopping experience. I do believe Sam’s will expand this technology, however, I doubt it will completely replace checkstands.
The technology enables shoppers to scan items while they are shopping and pay directly via an app, thereby reducing waiting times and improving overall satisfaction. Using Scan and Go, Sam’s Club will be able to attract tech-savvy customers who are interested in a streamlined shopping process and a high level of efficiency.
Implementing Scan & Go, however, may present challenges, such as ensuring all customers have smartphones and are familiar with the technology.
It possible that there will be an increase in instances of theft or mis-scanning of items, necessitating the development of more robust security measures.
Finally, the staff training and customer support resources must be enhanced in order to assist shoppers unfamiliar with the system. While this innovation has the potential to attract tech-savvy shoppers, it may also pose some risks.
Problems such as technical difficulties, unfamiliarity with the customer, and theft could occur. In contrast, if implemented effectively, Sam’s Club may be able to gain a significant competitive edge in the retail market due to improved customer service and operational efficiency.
While incredibly efficient, if you go to Sam’s on any given day, you will still see a significant amount of customers who don’t use scan and go standing in line to be checked out. To maximize the customer base Sam’s is going to have to meet people where they are and while some love it, others don’t, which is why they are likely to keep at least some regular checkouts for the near future.
Everyone I know who has used the scan and go tech loves it. Let’s take a lesson from the airlines. They want everyone to use their website or app to book a flight, but there is always a number to call to make a reservation. The same strategy should be considered for this. There will be some bumps along the road to the transition, but this is our future.
Sure, some people won’t use this. But good for Sam’s Club for moving forward with innovative and customer-focused solutions like this. I think in a warehouse club store environment this will resonate with many shoppers.
You don’t need 100% compliance to call victory here, you just need to provide options that keep the customers who are tech savvy and like to engage virtually, in your store, and make purchases. Sam’s should be able to do this well.
Sam’s customers expect their carts to be audited on the way out the door. This will be important in mitigating the risk associated with self-checkout, which has plagued grocers and other retailers as they watch their shrinkage increase due to bad actors taking advantage of this capability.
Shoppers want choice in how they engage with a store and so Scan & Go is a great option for some shoppers. But this is not a new idea, and many of the retailers who have implemented similar technology in the past and then pulled back, initially claimed that it was a “game changer.” Long, slow checkout is typical in warehouse clubs in general, and so anything that can alleviate this is welcomed. But as other retailers have found, self-checkout solutions often come with higher theft rates and that’s ultimately what prevents broader implementation – not to mention the fact that not all shoppers prefer to transact this way. If Sam’s has found the right tech for their stores/customers, then the proof will be in the pudding – rolling out to all stores.
This approach is consistent with the Sam’s club philosophy of lower prices through no frills. Keep prices low by removing things that add to price.
This technology makes sense because it makes checking out easier for shoppers. But it has to be rolled out gradually. That will allow time to resolve any tech difficulties and to learn how to deal with any possible theft.
Some technology seems to refuse to die the death it should. From what I can tell, there is no advantage to Sam’s Club from making a move like this. Nothing. In which case, it makes no sense to pursue the mythology of “magical tech” when it offers no competitive advantage. Another fancy way to re-arrange deck chairs — but maybe shareholders reward such ideas more than the gritty reality running smart retail stores.
Shoppers want convenience, and technology that removes friction from the shopping journey is a clear win. Giving people the option to use Scan & Go is a smart move by Sam’s Club. Not everyone will use it, but in warehouse clubs, where efficiency is already a priority, it makes a lot of sense.
Huge mistake wifi too weak in local store already
Will cancel membership
Don’t want to use smart phone too much of a hassle
Wi-Fi too weak now in local store to connect . Absolutely no assistance provided to access WiFi .
Will cancel membership day one after self checkout gone
Don’t want tech hassle
Adios membership price too high for headache
Pay membership for hassle …
Sorry adios
They should pay me !