Sam’s Club Opening Location Without Cashiers
Sam’s Club is introducing a fully cashier-free store, instead relying on the shopper to scan items on their phone, allowing them to pay for the items via phone app.
By DAVID on October 29, 2018
If you’re thinking “oh great, more self checkout,” I thought the same thing at first. But with this new store, there aren’t even checkout lines. It’s all “grab & go” style, as in you scan the products into your phone as you take them off the shelf. Then when you’re done, you pay for your “cart,” and walk out.
They’re calling it “Sam’s Club Now,” and they’re opening their first store in Dallas. Sam’s Club has announced that they’re planning on closing some existing stores after parent company Walmart said they’re bumping employees’ minimum pay to $11 from $9 per hour. The new cashier-less store is about one quarter the size of their typical warehouse store, and will have no cashiers or even checkout lines. Instead of cashiers, there will be “Member Hosts.” These hosts will help you find items, help scan them in if you’re having trouble, and act as the “face” of the store.
Sam’s has had a “Scan and Go” app for a couple years now, but they’re going to release a new app for these stores. They’re calling it the “Sam’s Club Now” app, and it will just let you scan items in your phone and pay right there. CEO of SamsClub.com Jamie Iannone says “At its core, Sam’s Club Now will be a technology lab that doubles as a live, retail club… It’s where we will incubate, test and refine technologies to help define the future of retail.” So it’s basically a sort of “development center” for new tech and ideas they’re working on.
Would you shop at a totally cashier-less store? Self checkout is convenient but frustrating at times, but this idea of just paying through your phone might make things that much easier. Do you even download apps for stores where you shop? Do you think a warehouse-store like Sam’s or Costco would benefit from a cashier-less system? See some more info here.
