Sam’s Club adds a retail space to its e-commerce fulfilment centre


While giants like Walmart and Target are focussing on digital services to enhance their offerings and attract new clients, Sam’s Club is doing just the opposite. The firm has added a retail space to an e-commerce fulfilment site.

The location is in Tampa, Florida and was previously a fulfilment centre for online orders but it closed down in January. Now its liquor and tire service section has been reconverted onto a retail space. More than 2000 popular products are available for purchase. However, there are no checkout counters. To settle their bill, customers must the club retailer's Scan & Go app. The firm has advanced that the new store is an experiment. It reports that shoppers were sad when the centre closed in January, so it wanted to see whether it can “tap into some of that pent-up demand”. According to an analyst, the success of this project will depend on the consumer insight that it delivers; how it resonates with shoppers and consumer purchasing habits.

However, customers interviewed by the local media were not completely satisfied with this venture. In fact, they expressed disappointment and confusion with regards to the new Sam’s Club store’s limited selection of items and its presentation.


The new store is an experiment

Comments