All current Sam’s Club members can order either online or via the Sam’s Club mobile app and pick up their orders the same day. Orders for same-day pickup, however, are limited to 15 items. Representatives for the retailer say that once an order of 15 items or less is placed it will be available for pickup within four hours. Customers will be notified via text or email when their order is ready and will be met by a Sam’s Club employee upon store arrival.
The move comes as more and more retailers are offering eCommerce options to consumers, whose shopping habits are evolving. By 2025 it is projected that online grocery sales will reach $100 billion, or 20 percent of the grocery retail market. Additionally, remote payment solutions make the online and mobile shopping experience that much more convenient for consumers.
Grocery pickup and delivery have expanded considerably as traditional brick-and-mortar retailers struggle to compete with the customer convenience afforded by eCommerce. By taking advantage of store proximity to customers’ homes, retailers like Target and Walmart can attract customers with order-online, pickup in-store options.
But when it comes to online shopping, technology has allowed traditional shopping markets to compete with Amazon and other massive online retailers. Even farmer’s markets have begun to make the switch to eCommerce with apps like WhatsGood that allow customers to buy directly from local farmers and artisans in their community.
Sam’s Club has made the new same-day grocery pickup offer available at nearly all its locations – approximately 600 stores across the United States. Consumers can place an order Monday through Friday after 10 a.m., and on Saturdays after 9 a.m., with earlier pickup options available for Sam’s Club Plus members.