In this Fast Five Short, we discuss how Sam's Club is revolutionizing the shopping experience by opening a new store in Grapevine, Texas, that eliminates traditional checkout lines. Instead, customers will utilize a smartphone app called Scan and Go to scan items as they shop, culminating in a streamlined exit through a computer vision-based archway. This innovative approach allows for the display of unique online-only products, like a twelve-foot Christmas tree and a five-carat lab-grown diamond, directly linked to the app for easy access. The store is designed to enhance e-commerce fulfillment, providing staff with significantly more space for preparing curbside pickups and home deliveries. With a membership model that enables them to enforce this new shopping method, Sam's Club is poised to learn from this experiment and adapt to the evolving preferences of tech-savvy consumers, positioning itself ahead of competitors like Costco in the retail landscape.

Takeaways:

• Sam's Club is innovating by opening a store without checkout lines, enhancing the shopping experience.
• The new store in Grapevine, Texas, emphasizes a tech-savvy approach using a smartphone app.
• Sam's Club is expanding its e-commerce fulfillment capabilities with a larger area for online orders.
• The store will feature online-only items, including luxury products that members can access easily.
• The Scan and Go app will allow customers to shop efficiently, improving overall store operations.
• This new model positions Sam's Club ahead of competitors like Costco in the digital shopping space.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Sam's Club
• CNBC
• Amazon
• Costco
• Instacart
• Mercedes

For the full episode, sponsored by the the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, head here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0O2k1chOTM&t=501s

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