Sam's Club, the membership-only retail chain owned by Walmart Inc, is under fire from Chinese consumers over its recent introduction of mass market snacks that critics claim fall short of the brand's promise of premium, carefully curated offerings.

沃尔玛（Walmart Inc）旗下的会员制零售连锁店山姆会员店（Sam’s Club）最近推出了大众市场小吃，批评者称其未能兑现该品牌对优质、精心策划产品的承诺，因此受到中国消费者的抨击。

Since early July, online users on platforms like RedNote and Weibo have voiced concerns that Sam's Club is selling products such as Orion pies, Weilong Konjac delights and Panpan's walnut vanilla puffs—snacks commonly found in ordinary supermarkets—calling into question the company's quality control and product selection standards.

自7月初以来，RedNote和微博等平台上的在线用户表达了对山姆会员店销售猎户座馅饼、卫龙魔芋和潘潘核桃香草泡芙等产品的担忧，这些产品在普通超市很常见，这让人们对该公司的质量控制和产品选择标准产生了质疑。

A focal point of the criticism is a 48-pack of Orion pies, marketed at Sam's Club for 49.9 yuan as a low-sugar option with 30 percent more cocoa. However, consumers comparing its ingredient list to that of the regular version found no major improvements. Both versions still contain additives like shortening and acesulfame potassium, often criticized for potential health risks. In fact, the Sam's Club version was found to have a higher fat content than the standard product.

批评的焦点是48包猎户座馅饼，在山姆俱乐部以49.9元（7美元）的价格出售，作为低糖选择，可可含量高出30%。然而，消费者将其成分清单与常规版本进行比较后发现没有重大改进。这两种版本仍然含有起酥油和安赛蜜钾等添加剂，这些添加剂经常因潜在的健康风险而受到批评。事实上，Sam's Club版本的脂肪含量高于标准产品。

The backlash is further intensified by the shadow of a scandal from 2022. Orion came under fire in China for allegedly using a dual-standard ingredient list—one for consumers in its home country of South Korea and another, which contained ingredients including cocoa butter substitute containing trans fats, in the Chinese market.

2022年丑闻的阴影进一步加剧了这种反弹。猎户座在中国因涉嫌使用双重标准成分清单而受到抨击，一份是针对其母国韩国的消费者，另一份是在中国市场上包含可可脂替代品（含反式脂肪）等成分。

The uproar highlights a growing gap between Sam's Club's brand image and consumer expectations. The chain, which charges a 260 yuan annual membership fee, has long positioned itself as a purveyor of "globally sourced, high-quality products", emphasizing exclusivity and differentiated offerings.

这场骚动突显出山姆会员店的品牌形象与消费者期望之间的差距越来越大。该连锁店每年收取260元的会员费，长期以来一直将自己定位为“全球采购的高质量产品”的供应商，强调排他性和差异化产品。

Yet the introduction of mainstream brands like Orion and Panpan has sparked fears among loyal members that Sam's Club is veering toward homogenization, diluting its value proposition.

然而，Orion和Panpan等主流品牌的推出引发了忠实会员的担忧，他们担心Sam's Club正在走向同质化，削弱了其价值主张。

In response to China Daily queries, Walmart China stated: "We have noticed the discussions on social media regarding our product selection. As a membership-based retailer, we have always prioritized our members. We co-develop high-quality products with domestic and international suppliers and continuously improve based on member feedback. We take all member opinions seriously and will reflect them in future product strategies."

在回应《中国日报》的询问时，沃尔玛中国表示：“我们注意到社交媒体上关于我们产品选择的讨论。作为一家会员制零售商，我们始终优先考虑我们的会员。我们与国内外供应商共同开发高质量的产品，并根据会员的反馈不断改进。我们认真对待所有会员的意见，并将在未来的产品战略中反映出来。”

Despite the criticism, Sam's Club is expanding aggressively across China. From 2023 to 2024, the company opened 12 new stores, with plans to launch another eight in 2025.

尽管受到批评，山姆俱乐部仍在中国各地积极扩张。从2023年到2024年，该公司开设了12家新店，并计划在2025年再开设8家。

Walmart China, Sam's Club's parent company, continues to lead the nation's retail rankings. In 2024, it recorded sales of 158.8 billion yuan, topping the China Chain Store & Franchise Association's Top 100 list.

山姆会员店的母公司沃尔玛中国继续领跑全国零售排名。2024年，其销售额达到1588亿元，位居中国连锁经营协会百强榜首。

In the first quarter, Walmart China posted net sales of $6.7 billion, up 22.5 percent year-on-year. Sam's Club contributed significantly to this growth, with comparable sales rising 16.8 percent and e-commerce revenue jumping 34 percent. Seven new Sam's Club stores were added in the past 12 months, including one in the first quarter.

第一季度，沃尔玛中国的净销售额为67亿美元，同比增长22.5%。山姆会员店对这一增长做出了重大贡献，可比销售额增长了16.8%，电子商务收入增长了34%。在过去的12个月里，山姆会员店增加了7家新店，其中包括第一季度的一家。

Industry experts said the retailer's expansion strategy may be driving a shift toward greater localization, including the introduction of popular mass-market products, but this could come at a cost.

行业专家表示，这家零售商的扩张战略可能正在推动向更大程度的本地化转变，包括推出受欢迎的大众市场产品，但这可能是有代价的。

"On the surface, consumers are reacting to the perceived decline in product quality and the overlap with other supermarkets, which undermines the value of the membership fee," said Jason Yu, general manager of CTR Market Research.

CTR市场研究总经理Jason Yu表示：“从表面上看，消费者对产品质量下降以及与其他超市的重叠做出了反应，这降低了会员费的价值。”。

"But the deeper issue is the mismatch between member expectations and their actual experience. Product strength is Sam's Club's core competitive edge. If it loses that, especially on food safety and differentiation, it risks alienating its base."

“但更深层次的问题是会员期望与实际体验之间的不匹配。产品实力是山姆会员店的核心竞争优势。如果它失去了这一点，特别是在食品安全和差异化方面，它就有可能疏远其基础。”

Yu added that there is no fundamental issue with the Orion brand itself. "The key question is whether Sam's Club can deliver a distinct product experience. If it simply sells a 'me-too' product, it won't gain consumers' votes," he said.

余补充说，猎户座品牌本身没有根本问题。他说：“关键问题是山姆会员店能否提供独特的产品体验。如果它只是销售一种‘我也是’的产品，它就不会获得消费者的选票。”。

trans fats

n.反式脂肪酸

/træns fæts/

aggressively

n.侵略地

/əˈɡrɛsɪvli/

homogenization
/ˌhɒməˌdʒənaɪˈzeɪʃn/ 同质化

 alienate
/ˈeɪliəneɪt/ 疏远，使不友好