It’s been one year since the opening of Sam’s Club Now, a technology lab that doubles as a live, retail club in Dallas. Since the opening, we’ve tried and tested many new technologies to see what works and what doesn’t based on member and associate feedback. Here are 5 things to know about the last 365 days at Sam’s Club Now.
1. We have an energetic, female operator running this one-of-a-kind club.
Lucy Moreno started at Sam’s Club eight years ago and quickly rose through the ranks serving in positions such as Manager in Training, Membership Manager and Co-Manager. Now, at just 30 years old, she is the Club Manager at the most unique Sam’s Club in the country and is leading a team of 42 associates.
“I once had a member come up to me with his two young daughters and he told them, ‘See girls, this is an example of someone like you who worked hard and made their career goals come true.’ It was an extremely humbling experience,” said Lucy.
2. We’ve tested dozens of new technologies.
We are constantly testing and trying new things – after all, it is a tech lab. From navigation, to electronic price signs, to augmented reality and more.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is Item Vision, which is patent-pending technology we developed for the Scan & Go app,” said Lucy. “It allows members to simply point their camera at a product and it will get added to their digital shopping cart. Members no longer have to search for a barcode and it makes their shopping experience faster.”
3. The new technology has been a total team effort.
We have Sam’s Club technologists around the country, including engineers, designers and product managers, who help to design tools and innovations for every aspect of the club.
According to Lucy, “So many people have put in countless hours to bring technology to this building and to train our associates and members on how to use it. My team regularly works directly with buyers, software engineers, members of the Club Pickup team and more to continue improving our apps and technology.”
4. We have expanded our learnings to clubs around the country.
We’ve tried and tested many things over the past year – some have worked, and some haven’t. One example of something that was tested in Sam’s Club Now that rolled to all clubs, where allowed: members can now buy alcohol using the Scan & Go app.
Lucy told us, “The biggest reward is seeing the technology we work on here at Sam’s Club Now roll out to other clubs, whether it’s a larger scale test or full adoption.”
5. We have helped teach members a new way to shop.
Sam’s Club Now is unlike any other club because it’s a mobile-first shopping experience powered by the Sam’s Club Now app.
According to Lucy, “One of our biggest challenges this year was helping members who are not familiar with the Sam’s Club Now concept. Our associates work diligently to talk to every member as they walk into the club to teach them about our store format and how to use the technology around the club.”
