Sams Club Facts
Sams Club is a membership-only warehouse club owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.. The first Sams Club opened in April 1983 in Midwest City, Oklahoma in the United States.
Sams Club History
Sams Club is named after the founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton. Sams Club’s focus is on serving small business customers. Their slogan is “We’re in business for small business.” To purchase items from Sams one must purchase a membership or, on some special occasions, non-members can make purchases that are subject to a 10% additional fee. Sams Club does not accept any credit card other than its own card and the Discover Card.
Sams Club Mission
Sams Club offers exceptional value on brand name merchandise at “members only” prices for both business and personal use. Sams Club operates by selling merchandise at very low profit margins, which are passed along to the members in the form of low, warehouse prices. Profits are primarily derived from membership sales.
Sams Club is a place where business operators and their families, as well as informed deal seekers, can find consistent savings on more that 4,000 items; including appliances and electronics, office supplies, fresh food, clothing, optical and pharmacy services, home furnishings, books, batteries, and auto supplies.
In addition to its brand name, quality merchandise, Sams Club offers its members a variety of big deals in the form of additional services. These include a travel club, an auto purchase program, discount credit card processing for retail members, software training, a mail-order pharmacy, Internet access and long-distance services.
A typical Sams Club stands between 110,000 and 130,000 square feet. To keep its merchandise extremely low-priced, all the Clubs look like working warehouses. Each Club’s no frills appearance features cement floors with merchandise often displayed on shipping pallets. Steel racks from floor to ceiling form the structure of most merchandise displays which are generally divided into hard lines (electronics and automotive), center section (office supplies and apparel), freezer/cooler (frozen foods) and grocery (produce, fresh meats and bakery).
Sams Club International
The Sams Club division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. had total sales revenue of USD$37.1 billion for fiscal year ending January 31, 2005. There are also clubs operated internationally under the International Division of Wal-Mart Stores in Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. In 1993, Wal-Mart acquired Pace Warehouse Clubs and converted them into Sams. Their current primary competitor is Costco. Sams Club markets items under the private labels Member’s Mark, Bakers & Chefs, and Sams Club.
