Grocery shopping isn’t always something people look forward to. For many, it’s a chore that can feel overwhelming, especially when preparing for big events like Thanksgiving. Navigating a packed store, loading your cart, and waiting in long checkout lines can be exhausting.
However, Sam’s Club aims to change that with a significant innovation in its checkout process, making shopping faster and easier for its members.
Sam’s Club Embraces Digital Transformation
Sam’s Club has been improving the shopping experience, and its latest efforts are groundbreaking. The retailer recently announced its plan to roll out new technology that will drastically change how customers check out.
The innovation centers around digital efficiency, aiming to streamline the experience for shoppers across the country.
Earlier this year, Sam’s Club revealed it would be introducing exit trusses in its clubs. These trusses replace the need for an employee to manually scan each customer’s receipt at the door. Instead, these digital arches will automatically scan the receipt and compare it to the items in the cart.
This technology ensures all items have been purchased properly, but the process is much faster than having an employee manually check everything.
A New Digital-Only Store in Texas
While the exit arches are being rolled out nationwide, Sam’s Club is taking things further at its newest store in Grapevine, Texas. This location opened on October 17 and is Sam’s first-ever all-digital store.
The Texas store will have the new exit technology and entirely eliminate the traditional checkout process.
At this location, shoppers must use Sam’s Club’s Scan & Go feature. This feature has been available for a while, allowing customers to scan items as they shop using their smartphones. Once all items are scanned, customers can pay directly in the app and simply walk to the exit.
There, they will either have an employee scan their receipt or walk through the new digital trusses that check receipts automatically.
No Traditional Checkout at the Grapevine Store
One of the most exciting changes at the Grapevine location is the complete removal of traditional checkout lines. Instead of cash registers, the area where you’d normally see checkouts will feature what Sam’s Club is calling an “omnichannel showroom.”
This space will showcase exclusive items, seasonal finds, and popular in-store and online products. For example, products like the Enzo storage cabinet or other exclusive finds from SamsClub.com will be highlighted in this space.
Despite eliminating checkouts, Sam’s Club assures customers that there will be no reduction in staff. The number of employees at this digital-only store will remain the same.
The goal is to use the technology to “free up” employees to focus on other tasks, such as fulfilling online orders or assisting members with shopping.
What Is Scan & Move?
For those unfamiliar with the Scan & Go feature, it’s a service available through the Sam’s Club app. Shoppers use their smartphones to scan items as they place them in their carts.
This eliminates the need to unload your cart at a register and speeds up the checkout process. Once you’ve scanned everything, you pay directly in the app and are ready to leave.
This feature is not optional at the new Grapevine location—it’s the only way to shop. Scan & Go will be the standard method for checking out, and customers can exit via the three digital trusses installed at the front of the store.
An Innovation Hub for the Future
The Grapevine location isn’t just a new store—it’s being designed as an innovation center where Sam’s Club will test new technologies and concepts. The company plans to use this store as a testing ground for initiatives that could eventually be rolled out to other locations.
While it’s unclear what other innovations might come from this store, it’s clear that Sam’s Club is invested in creating a seamless, tech-driven shopping experience.
Walmart owns Sam’s Club and has also experimented with similar technology. Earlier this year, some Walmart locations tested Scan & Go. However, because Walmart’s Scan & Go feature is only available to paid Walmart+ members, it wasn’t feasible for the retail giant to eliminate all traditional checkout lines.
Some Walmart locations have done the opposite—closing self-checkout lines in favor of cashier-led registers.
The Future of Grocery Shopping?
Is this all-digital shopping experience the future of grocery shopping? It’s still too early to tell, but Sam’s Club believes integrating technology into the shopping process will make things easier for customers.
The digital checkout process may not appeal to everyone, especially those who are uncomfortable using smartphone apps. However, for tech-savvy shoppers, it could offer a much faster, more convenient way to shop.
By eliminating the traditional checkout process, Sam’s Club is taking a bold step toward the future. While other retailers like Walmart are still experimenting with similar ideas, the Grapevine location is the first major store to fully embrace a digital-only model.
It remains to be seen how popular this new store format will be with customers. Still, the potential for a quicker, easier shopping experience could make a huge difference—especially during busy times of the year.
If successful, we may start to see more stores across the country adopt similar technologies, making the stress of grocery shopping a thing of the past.
What Does This Mean for Shoppers?
For now, only Sam’s Club members in Grapevine, Texas, will experience the full impact of this all-digital store.
However, if it proves successful, it could be a glimpse into how grocery shopping will evolve. As retailers continue to explore ways to integrate technology into the shopping process, it seems likely that more stores will adopt similar features to make shopping faster, easier, and more efficient.
Ultimately, it’s all about making life easier for the customer.
Whether or not Scan & Go becomes the standard for all grocery shopping, Sam’s Club is leading the charge in transforming the way we shop. For now, the future looks more digital than ever.
READ MORE: Costco Is Bringing back This Holiday Favorite—and It’s a Hit