2.5 minutes

MAP, which is Sam's Club's retail media network, is expanding its range of ad campaigns to include activations at real-world events.

Sam’s Club wants to expand the range of ad options available through its retail media network, which it calls the Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP). And it is highlighting action-oriented experiences where advertisers will be able to appear.

In addition to new tools that the membership-based chain of stores (which it calls clubs) is adding, the retailer is also reframing MAP as a “Retail Experience Network.”

Sam’s Club owner Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by web sales. Walmart appears there in the Mass Merchant category.

Sam’s Club’s retail media focus on experiences

In its new retail media offerings, Sam’s Club is setting up campaigns around “Omni Experiences,” which include real-world activities occurring “in and around club media activations.” Examples include tailgating, back-to-school events and more, inserting brands into omnichannel contexts.

“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 Harvey Ma, vice president and general manager at the Sam’s Club Member Access Platform, in an April 29 blog post. “It’s a seamlessly connected, omnichannel experience designed to drive awareness, deepen loyalty and boost conversions.”

Ma shared that one Omni Experience campaign was responsible for a “9.6% increase in sales and attracted an average of 40% new buyers.”

Sam’s Club’s MAP plans for 2025

In addition, Ma noted that Sam’s Club plans to launch more formats in 2025. Those include “influencer and creator-led content,” incorporating influencer marketing alongside MAP’s first-party data for serving ads both online and in clubs.

Sam’s Club is also testing generative artificial intelligence (AI) for improving product discovery and inspiration for its members.

Ma listed several tools that make use of MAP’s data for advertisers. Those include:

  • Brand Lift, which gives brands visibility into their campaigns and allows for optimization according to certain criteria.
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV), which is meant to help advertisers assess return on investment when reaching consumers.
  • Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), which tracks consumer touchpoints across multiple channels.
  • Propensity Modeling with Signal Fidelity, which uses AI and machine learning to flag members who are most likely to engage with a given advertiser.

In detailing the new updates, Ma also offered some insight into MAP’s role in Sam’s Club’s business model. That focus allows it to redirect revenue back into the experiences it is looking to build.

“For us, retail media isn’t just a revenue stream; it’s a way to enrich the member experience as well as support growth for brands alongside Sam’s Club,” Ma said. “Importantly, any revenue generated through advertising is reinvested directly back into Sam’s Club operations, funding associate wages, club remodeling, new growth opportunities and more.”

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