SHENZHEN, May 8, 2017/PRNewswire/-Sam member stores have strengthened their differentiated product strategy, developed high-end products that meet the preferences of China consumers, upgraded existing word-of-mouth products, and continued to expand their competitive advantages. Sam continues to intensify the research and development of its own brand Member’s Mark food. More than a dozen new products and upgraded star products have appeared in the recent "Taste Sam" activity, covering baking, fresh food, cooked food and other categories, which fully meet the discerning taste buds of high-end members. Among them, Matcha Melaleuca cake, organic vegetables and Australian imported beef are expected to drive a substantial increase in sales.
As a high-end membership store, Sam Member Store has opened 15 stores in 13 cities in China, serving nearly 1.8 million members. Andrew Miles, president of Sam member store’s China business, said: "Sam has developed rapidly in recent years, thanks to our continuous provision of quality goods, excellent member service and good shopping experience. Whether the membership value of Sam can be reflected is one of the important considerations in our commodity development strategy. We organically combine the consumption trend with the needs of members, and further expand our competitive advantage through differentiated commodity strategy. We will continue to upgrade and optimize the product structure, so that members can feel the concept of’ better life in Sam’, and welcome more consumers who value quality and shopping experience to become members of Sam. "
Sam opens "Taste Sam" month.
Sam’s commodity development emphasizes high quality and continuous innovation. Taking the baking category as an example, Sam is extremely strict in screening its own brand suppliers. Besides routine evaluation and factory inspection, it also requires suppliers to have experience in cooperating with five-star hotels. With its excellent market acumen and innovative spirit, Sam has launched many products highly sought after by its members, such as Member’s Mark Durian Melaleuca Cake, which has been ranked as the national baking sales champion in Sam for one year. After five months of repeated testing and adjustment, Sam recently launched a Melaleuca Matcha cake. In the research and development process, in order to better balance the fragrance of matcha and cream, the toughness of egg skin, and the taste and fragrance after thawing, Sam tried dozens of kinds of green tea powder at home and abroad, and finally chose the matcha powder certified by Uji, Japan, and carried out destructive tests in storage, transportation and other aspects. The fresh taste of this product is especially suitable for summer, and it is expected to boost sales with durian Melaleuca cake.
Sam New Member’s Mark Star Product Matcha Melaleuca Cake
The research and development of new products in Sam is based on the in-depth understanding of members’ living habits and dietary preferences, such as cooked beef rolls and fried food wrapped in powder suitable for fast-paced life in "Taste Sam"; More than a dozen new products such as seasonal vanilla ice cream. In addition, Sam’s organic vegetables have achieved double-digit growth year after year, which reflects the growing demand of members for organic vegetables. Because organic vegetables are easily influenced by uncontrollable factors without pesticides, it is difficult to ensure the supply. Sam has selected more than ten organic vegetable farms certified by national authorities, and launched seven new products of Member’s Mark organic vegetables for the first time, and ensured uninterrupted supply throughout the country.
"Healthier" and "higher-end" are also the focus of food upgrading in Sam. Take Member’s Mark Zongzi as an example. After listening to the feedback from members, Sam boldly improved the formula and production technology of this traditional food, and the lard content was reduced by about 25% compared with last year. The glutinous rice and Moganshan pollution-free Zongzi leaves in the south of the Yangtze River were selected in this season, and the outer packaging passed the 8,000-time beating test, which effectively prevented bumps and cracks, and ensured the taste of the members.
Sam’s own brand Member’s Mark Zongzi.
As a star commodity in Sam, the annual sales of imported beef from Australia increased by more than 50% in recent three years. This year, Sam cut all Australian beef more finely, covering nearly 20 parts, which is suitable for Chinese and Western cooking methods, and also added Australian Angus cattle, which is juicy and tender, especially suitable for Western cooking. In terms of vegetables, vegetable seedlings have shown great growth potential. Sam’s vegetable seedlings are all picked at the seedling stage, and the average growth period is about one third of the total growth period, which makes them taste more crisp and tender. At present, they account for about 40% of leafy vegetables sales. In the future, Sam will increase the variety and quantity of vegetable seedlings, which is expected to account for 50% of leafy vegetables.
In addition to constantly improving the quality of goods, Sam will provide more cost-effective products for people’s livelihood through various activities, so that members can gain more value brought by membership, which is very popular among members. Sales of products such as baked mixed nuts and flexible handkerchief paper by Member’s Mark doubled in the activity of "Great Member Value with High Membership Value" which lasted for the whole year, and sales of northeast super rice by Member’s Mark in April doubled year-on-year.
In addition, Sam member stores cooperate with major banks and payment platforms from time to time to hold preferential activities to give back to members (such as Bank of Communications, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Alipay, etc.). Sam members can enjoy preferential treatment from more than 350 selected high-quality merchants by virtue of their Sam membership, covering the fields of catering, entertainment, lifestyle, culture and art, healthy living and professional services. While creating savings for members, Sam member stores attach great importance to members’ shopping experience; In Sam, members can experience a spacious and comfortable shopping environment and plenty of parking spaces. At the same time, members can also purchase conveniently through www.samsclub.cn, an online platform in Sam, the "Sam Member Store" App and the JD.COM flagship store in Sam. Sam has opened the distribution of fresh goods in 12 cities, providing the service of one-stop purchase and one-order delivery for normal temperature, cold storage and frozen goods in a single temperature zone.