Sam's Club Tests Checkout-Free Store Technology
Published: October 10th, 2024.
Sam’s Club, the membership-based warehouse chain owned by Walmart, is piloting a new checkout-free shopping experience. The initiative, launched in select stores, aims to eliminate checkout lines entirely, utilizing advanced technology to simplify shopping. This move mirrors similar steps other retail giants, including Amazon, took to meet growing consumer demand for faster, more efficient in-store shopping.
Sam’s Club’s new system is designed to make shopping more convenient by eliminating checkout lines. According to Eddie Garcia, Sam’s Club’s Chief Product Officer, “Our goal is to provide a frictionless shopping experience that saves time for our members.” This technology allows members to pick up their items and walk out, with purchases automatically billed to their accounts.
The checkout-free model builds on Sam’s Club’s existing Scan & Go feature, where customers scan items with their phones and pay through the app. This new system takes it further by removing the need for scanning, thanks to sensors and AI monitoring real-time purchases.
To use the checkout-free system, customers scan a QR code upon entry, which links to their Sam’s Club account. Overhead cameras and sensors then track their selected items; the total is charged to their account when they leave. This setup mirrors Amazon Go stores and represents a significant investment in innovative technology to offer a faster, hassle-free shopping experience.
Walmart’s move to test this technology at Sam’s Club reflects its ongoing commitment to innovation. If successful, it could roll out to more locations, with Walmart potentially following suit in its leading stores. The pilot could also pressure other warehouse chains like Costco and BJ’s to adopt similar technology to stay competitive.
While the checkout-free model offers numerous benefits, it raises concerns about potential job losses, as fewer employees are needed to operate the stores. Data privacy is another consideration, as the system tracks customers’ movements within the store.
The success of Sam’s Club’s checkout-free pilot will likely influence the broader retail landscape. As retailers explore new ways to enhance convenience, checkout-free technology could become a new standard. For Sam’s Club, it’s a chance to reshape the member experience, positioning itself at the forefront of retail innovation.