A NEW Sam’s Club warehouse that will give members a glimpse of how stores will look in the future is to open today.
The chain’s premises in Grapevine, Texas, is reopening two years after being ravaged by a tornado.
Shoppers will walk through arches instead of having receipts checked when leaving the store[/caption]
Chiefs have hailed the premises as a store of the future and the chain’s first digital-only store.
Chris Nicholas, the Sam’s Club CEO, said the location is part of efforts to pioneer the future of retail, per Forbes.
The store will be strikingly different from traditional Sam’s Club establishments.
This is because checkout lanes – both manned and self-service – have been stripped out.
Shoppers who visit the Grapevine outlet will have to use scan-and-go technology.
Scan-and-go is a tool that lets customers scan items and check out via the chain’s app.
Then, shoppers must show digital receipts to a worker.
Sam’s Club is trialing technology designed to make the checkout process more efficient.
They have unveiled scanners that verify purchases in shopping carts.
The technology was unveiled at the CES convention in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Bosses hope that rolling out the kit will eliminate the need for shoppers to stand in a line waiting for a receipt check.
Bosses acknowledged the feedback from customers who have said they wanted a more convenient store experience.
“This is Sam’s Club at its very best, listening to feedback from members, putting their needs at the center of everything we do – and then applying digital innovations to deliver an industry-leading member experience,” Chris Nicholas, the Sam’s Club CEO, said.
“We are constantly looking at ways for Sam’s Club to be the most convenient membership club and will continue to prioritize using technology to provide a truly differentiated and delightful experience for our members.”
The scanning arches have been rolled out at 300 stores so far, according to the Fox affiliate KTVU-TV.
But bosses hope the arches will be a feature in all 600 warehouses by the end of the year.
The U.S. Sun has reported how shoppers have rejoiced after news about the new technology emerged.
NEW FEATURES
Exit arches are not the only feature that will be on show in the new Grapevine location.
There will be displays for online items and customers will be able to buy sushi that’s made to order.
A robot in the store’s café will be able to make up to 100 pizzas in an hour.
Bosses have revealed that the Grapevine location will inspire future Sam’s Club warehouses.
“The idea is that over time, we will be 100% digital engagement as a business, and you’ve got to prove that things work before you scale them,” Nicholas told CNBC.
Chiefs hope to open 30 warehouses across the next five years.
