In this insightful Shoptalk 2025 episode, recorded live from the Meta Podcast Studio, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Harvey Ma, VP and GM of Retail Media at Sam’s Club. Harvey explains how Sam’s Club has taken a radically different approach to retail media—reinvesting every ad dollar back into clubs, staff, and the member experience. He also breaks down how Sam’s in-house technology, like their new search engine and Scan & Go platform, prioritizes relevancy over revenue, creating a superior shopper journey.

Key Moments:

0:40 – Intro to Harvey Ma and his journey from engineering to retail

2:00 – Sam’s Club’s unique retail media approach: revenue reinvested, not profited

3:45 – Why member satisfaction drives everything at Sam’s

5:20 – Rebuilding Sam’s in-house search platform for relevancy over profit

6:50 – Moving away from ROAS to measure success

8:25 – Scan & Go as the future of in-store retail media

9:45 – 71% incremental reach from Scan & Go media

10:50 – What Sam’s looks for in a retail partner

12:50 – Trust as a pillar of Sam’s Club strategy

14:00 – The evolution of retail media: from digital to tactile experiences

15:30 – Advice for retailers: don’t make it all about money

16:45 – Three simple questions Sam’s asks of every initiative

17:40 – Closing thoughts and the importance of member-focused innovation

#samsclub #retailmedia #shoptalk #retailinnovation #advertising

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