To speed-up holiday fulfillment, Walmart launching “Ship from Club” program
Sam’s Club’s holiday plans include having store associates fulfill online orders and adding 2,000 full-time employees.
For the first time, associates at more than 100 locations across the country will pick online orders from store inventory and ship items directly to customer homes in a holiday program called “Ship from Club.” Sam’s Club expects Ship from Club to speed up the fulfillment of orders and account for about one-fifth of all online orders. The retailer will also offer its contactless curbside pickup service, launched in June 2020, at all stores in time for the holidays.
In addition, Sam’s Club is hiring 2,000 permanent, full-time associates across the country for its supply chain operations, in both fulfillment centers and distribution centers. All fulfillment center hourly associates will receive a $2 hourly premium during the holiday season. Hundreds of those new hires will work at the retailer’s new, high-tech fulfillment center in Perris, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles, which opened in September 2020.
Sam’s Club is also unveiling some new holiday promotions. For the first time, the retailer will reveal all its November deals in a single savings book, mailed to customers’ homes the week of Oct. 21. Deals for December sales events will also be shared with members in a single book that is mailed to customers’ homes in late November.
Sam’s Club is offering more holiday sales events than ever before and has already launched its October savings event. The retailer is also extending its Thanksgiving sales event from four days to 10 days (Nov. 20-29), and extending one-day sales events in November and December to nine days each (Nov. 7-15 and Dec. 5-13).
Other holiday promotions Sam’s Club is featuring will include a curated selection of unique holiday items, an online “treasure hunt” with rollouts of new and exclusive items for holiday shoppers multiple times during the season, and a selection of holiday entrees, sides, and desserts in small-pack sizes. Throughout the season, Sam’s Club says it will bring unexpected moments with celebrities and experiences that play on “nostalgia and fun,” while leveraging its social media channels in unspecified new ways.
“COVID-19 has changed how our members shop and the experiences they desire,” said Tony Rogers, chief member officer, Sam’s Club. “We’re listening and evolving our approach to meet their needs. Our members are in for something special this season with the great surprises we have planned.”
