Retail
Photo: Rafael Henrique — stock.adobe.com
April 18, 2025
Sam’s Club outlined an aggressive growth strategy at its 2025 Investment Community Meeting, with plans to double its membership and more than double sales and profit within the next 8 to 10 years, according to a company news release.
A significant part of this evolution involves the elimination of both self-checkout and traditional checkout lanes across its nearly 600 U.S. and Puerto Rico stores and requiring shoppers to utilize its «Scan & Go» feature on the Sam’s Club mobile app.
The retailer’s strategy hinges on enhancing the member experience through omnichannel innovation, with Scan & Go playing a central role. Customers will scan and pay for items as they shop, with an AI-powered system at the exit verifying purchases.
«This is one of the fastest, most scalable transformations happening in retail today,» Chris Nicholas, Sam’s Club president and CEO, said in the release. «We’re investing with intention — in our fleet, our associates and the member experience — to become the world’s best club retailer.»
As part of its expansion, Sam’s Club will open 30 locations as previously announced and aims for approximately 15 more clubs annually in the coming years. The retailer also plans to remodel all 600 existing clubs. The physical growth is coupled with a digital expansion leveraging Walmart’s infrastructure to broaden its national e-commerce presence.
Recent enhancements to the online experience include free shipping for Plus members and free curbside pickup for club members.