Sam’s Club’s MAP Evolving Into Retail Experience Network
The Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP) is becoming the first-ever Retail Experience Network, with the aim of turning traditional ads into personalized, seamless experiences that enhance shopping and spur brand growth. Harvey Ma, VP and general manager of MAP at the Walmart division, revealed the change, which he described as “more dynamic, more immersive and more aligned with how people shop,” in a recent blog.
“This evolution brings brands closer to members at every stage of their shopping journey, whether they are browsing online, shopping in-club or engaging across channels in between,” wrote Ma. “It’s a seamlessly connected omnichannel experience designed to drive awareness, deepen loyalty and boost conversions.”
[RELATED: How Sam’s Club Plans to Double Membership in the Next Decade]
Currently, by combining such high-performing digital performance tactics as Search and Display with immersive experiences in and around club media activations, brands can create impactful moments for consumers, noted Ma, adding that the impact of such campaigns is “measurable and incremental.”
He also pointed to Scan & Go Display Ads, “which [offer] brands an unmatched opportunity to connect with members through the most powerful screens in the club: their mobile devices. Unlike traditional in-store media, Sam’s Club MAP is uniquely positioned as the first and only platform to seamlessly integrate display ads within a mobile self-checkout experience. With Scan & Go — a feature in the Sam’s Club mobile app — members scan items as they shop, complete payment on their devices and skip the checkout line entirely.”
To complement these mobile touchpoints, brands can make use of MAP’s growing portfolio of on-site, off-site and in-club offerings, he added.
As part of MAP’s evolution, Sam’s Club is launching new formats for connection this year:
- Brand Lift will provide advertisers with full-funnel visibility by incorporating upper-funnel metrics, including brand preference, favorability and purchase intent, into MAP’s existing conversion reporting. This will permit brands to optimize campaigns with such objectives as product launches or new brand positioning. For members, it will mean more relevant, resonant advertising that enhances the overall experience.
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) will integrate CLTV and longitudinal measurement to help brands better understand the full value of a consumer. Leveraging these insights, brands can refine their media strategies based on buyer segments, behaviors and potential long-term return on investment (ROI).
- Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) will offer unified measurement across all channels, from search to display, off-site and in-club. Powered by AI, MTA helps brands understand how every touchpoint contributes to conversion, enabling better planning and media mix optimization. These insights will lead to smarter, more coordinated messaging that reflects how members actually move through the path to purchase.
- Propensity Modeling with Signal Fidelity will use dynamic AI and machine learning to predict which members are most likely to engage, based on such nuanced data as past purchases, product preferences, demographics and shopping behavior. These models adapt based on category (for example, consumables versus beauty) and reduce irrelevant impressions. That means advertisers will be able engage the right audiences more effectively, and members will be able to enjoy a more personalized and streamlined experience.
“By combining performance-driven innovation with a deep understanding of members, MAP is unlocking the future of retail engagement,” wrote Ma.
Sam’s Club is a division of Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart Inc. The company operates 600 clubs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, and Sam’s Club is No. 8. PG also named Walmart one of its Retailers of the Century.
