Sam’s Club hails step forward in Retail Media 2.0 as retailer launches display ads in Scan & Go feature

Walmart owned Sam’s Club reports that its Member Access Platform (MAP) is launching display ads in the retailer’s mobile app’s Scan & Go experience to help members easily find more products while they shop in-club.

This unlocks a new way to measure member shopping behaviour and ad performance in-club with MAP’s closed-loop attribution.

The capability will help advertisers reach more Sam’s Club members and deliver a more engaging experience, as part of Sam’s Club’s broader approach to digital engagement.

Sam’s Club MAP is pitched as the first and only retail media platform to integrate ads in a mobile, self-checkout app experience.

Scan & Go allows members shopping in-club to use their mobile devices to scan items as they shop, complete payment and skip the checkout line entirely.

Members who opt-in will see display ads on the cart page that dynamically refresh after each new product scan, enhancing their shopping experience and helping them discover products as they check out with Scan & Go.

This feature enables advertisers to reach members at the point of conversion and may help drive incremental sales of associated or halo products.

“This new capability reflects our member obsession and commitment to ensuring ads reach the right members at the right time in their shopping journeys,” says Diana Marshall, Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, Sam's Club.

“Creating a closed loop, omnichannel advertising experience enables us to better understand member shopping behaviour and ad performance, ensuring we keep the member experience at the forefront while helping our advertisers achieve their objectives.”

Scan & Go’s core value proposition rests on skipping the checkout line. Placing display ads within the checkout experience makes it more convenient for members to complete their purchases.

The ads will provide measurable results to our advertisers, tracking metrics such as return on ad spend (ROAS), click-through rate (CTR), incremental sales, conversion rate and other valuable results.

“This launch represents another step forward in Retail Media 2.0, which is characterised by the blending of physical and digital experiences,” says Andrew Lipsman, Founder & Chief Analyst, Media, Ads + Commerce

“By integrating display ads into the Scan & Go feature, Sam’s Club is introducing a new surface to the shopping journey that can deliver value to both customers and advertisers.”

At launch, several Sam’s Club MAP advertisers such as Unilever will utilise Scan & Go ads. They are currently available in all clubs for select members and will roll-out to 100% of in-club traffic over the coming weeks.