‘The future of customer engagement is participatory’: Sam’s Club Member’s Mark Community hits 50,000 active consumers

Sam’s Club has announced a milestone for an initiative enabling members to shape and contribute to Member’s Mark, the retailer’s exclusive private brand.

The Member’s Mark Community emerged from stealth with 50,000 actively participating consumers.

People provide input on products before they reach clubs – from voting on exclusive flavours to testing and trialing new items.

“We have a long history of listening to feedback from our members and putting their needs at the centre of everything we do. It’s an integral part of how we develop our Member’s Mark products, and in today’s ‘experience economy,’ our approach sets us apart from other retailers in ways that deliver real value to our members,” says Megan Crozier, Chief Merchant at Sam’s Club.

“Our approach goes beyond traditional focus groups and surveys, with true engagement that will shape the future of retail by creating more personalised experiences for our members.”

“And this collaboration is already happening at scale, with input flowing from 50,000 active members, and we see the opportunity to include all members in the future.”

“The future of customer engagement is participatory as retailers and customers collaborate in commerce to create win-win experiences,” says R “Ray” Wang, CEO at Constellation Research, a Silicon Valley-based research and advisory firm.

“Sam’s Club is pushing the boundaries of retail in today’s experience economy with customer engagement strategies designed to get to the promises of collaborative commerce.”

Currently, the community primarily seeks feedback from members who mirror the broader Sam's Club membership base. The next phase will offer all members the opportunity to become collaborators and partners with the brand.