Sam’s Club Opening All-Digital Store Without Checkout Lines

Just outside Dallas, Texas, a new Sam’s Club is opening, but it’s unlike any seen before. The all-digital store won’t have the usual check-out lanes.

Sam’s Club members in this new store will need a smartphone app called Scan & Go. Purchases will be rung up on the go as shoppers navigate the aisles. In place of the cash registers will be a sizeable area where customers can see online-only items on display and order them via QR codes.

“The idea is that over time, we will be 100% digital engagement as a business, and you’ve got to prove that things work before you scale them,” said Sam’s Club CEO Chris Nicholas, per CNBC.

When entering the new club, employees will be standing by to help shoppers download the Scan & Go app. Workers will even be available to walk alongside customers should they need additional assistance with the app.

The all-digital Sam’s Club location is a reopening of the store after it was damaged by a tornado two years ago. The company is using the opportunity to test the concept’s viability, which some customers might not be ready to accept.

Sam’s Club’s Innovation

Initially designed to optimize the shopping experience, the Scan & Go app was first introduced to Walmart customers in 2016 and was expanded to Sam’s Club in 2018. Customers can scan items, view their shopping cart total, and even get purchase suggestions inside the app. Currently, Scan & Go is used by one-third of Sam’s Club members.

Sam’s Club has also implemented artificial intelligence in its stores. Using computer vision and AI, over 120 locations have technology capable of scanning customers’ shopping carts as they exit the store. Workers no longer have to check receipts or go through carts.

Just as bar code scanners shortened line wait times in the 1970s and ‘80s, removing the traditional checkout lanes altogether will likely revolutionize the shopping experience once again. To stay ahead of the competition, retailers such as Walmart and Costco are continually introducing new and innovative technology to attract and keep customers. Whether the Sam’s Club all-digital store concept works or not, it’s not likely to go away.