SAM’S Club bosses are set to open a new store, and customers will notice an obvious layout change.
Members who plan to visit the Grapevine, Texas, location might as well leave their wallets at home as the store will not accept cash.
There will be no traditional or self-checkouts inside the premises, as reported by the NBC affiliate KNWA-TV.
This means shoppers must use the in-house scan-and-go tool to buy groceries.
Customers can scan items and pay for their products using their cell phones.
To scan an item, shoppers must hold their device over the barcode until they see a rectangle.
Shoppers pay for goods while using the app and don’t have to wait in a checkout line.
Chris Nicholas, the CEO of Sam’s Club, described the new outlet as the chain’s first-all digital store.
Execs revealed that floor space is freed up by having no checkouts.
Nicholas told Forbes that the space will be used to display online-only items.
The Grapevine location is reopening to customers after it was hit by a tornado two years ago.
The store change has sparked a mixed reaction online.
One shopper seemed confused about how the transition to scan-and-go technology would benefit elderly members who may not use smartphones.
“There are still a lot of people who don’t use the app and will need assistance to check out,” they said.
Some have even vowed to boycott the chain if a digital-only store appears in their town.
Membership and store cards on offer from major retailers
Here is a breakdown of the store cards on offer to customers from various retailers and their benefits
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Costco:
- Gold Star Membership: $65 per year, shop all Costco stores and online with two additional cards for your household.
- Executive Membership: $130 per year, annual 2% reward, additional discounts and benefits on Costco services, shop online and in-store, and get two additional cards for household use.
- Sign up for a Costco Membership here
Sam’s Club:
- Club Membership: $50 per year, bonus offers, same-day delivery, instant savings, Sam’s Club Mastercard, members-only fuel savings, tire and battery center, complimentary membership, and add-on memberships.
- Plus Membership: $110 per year, all benefits of Club membership plus Sam’s Cash, free shipping, free curbside pickup, early shopping, and pharmacy and optical savings.
- Sign up for Sam’s Club Membership here
Target:
- Target Circle: A free-to-join reward program allowing users to earn 1% in Target Circle earnings rewards when an eligible purchase is made, access deals and personalized offers, get a birthday gift, and earn a vote to help direct how Target helps out your community.
- Target Circle Card: A credit, debit, or reloadable account card that gives users 5% off in-store and online as well as exclusive offers, free two-day shipping, and an additional 30-day returns window. Formerly Target RedCard.
- Sign up for Target Circle here
Walmart:
- Walmart+: $12.95 per month or $98 per year with a free 30-day trial. Offers members free delivery, free shipping with no minimum spend, fuel savings, Paramount+ subscription, auto car, Walmart+ travel, returns from home, mobile scan and go in-store, and early access to deals and product releases.
- Sign up for Walmart+ here
Members also wondered if this change means receipt checks would become a thing of the past.
Sam’s Club made headlines earlier this year when bosses announced they were rolling out new technology designed to eliminate receipt checks.
The wholesaler is one of the retailers that enforce the measure – a policy that has proved controversial among some shoppers.
Sam’s Club workers check receipts to ensure shoppers were charged correctly for goods.
New technology is being rolled out across warehouses where items are verified by a scanner.
This means that workers will not have to show a piece of paper or digital receipt to a worker.
So far, scanners have been rolled out in at least 120 warehouses, but bosses hope to have them in all 600 by the end of the year.
The U.S. Sun has reported how the technology has caused division – despite bosses’ intentions.
Some are sceptical while others have welcomed the new change as it means the end of a receipt check.
