Sam's West, Inc. is an American chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores owned and operated by Walmart Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton as Sam's Wholesale Club. As of January 31, 2019, Sam's Club ranks second in sales volume among warehouse clubs with $84.3 billion in sales, behind its main rival Costco Wholesale.
Sam's Club in Onalaska, Wisconsin
Founder Sam Walton
A Sam's Club store in Ciudad Lerdo, Durango, Mexico
A Sam's Club store in Suzhou, China
A warehouse club is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety of merchandise, in which customers may buy large, wholesale quantities of the store's products, which makes these clubs attractive to both bargain hunters and small business owners. The clubs are able to keep prices low due to the no-frills format of the stores. They are distinguished from traditional cash-and-carry wholesale businesses in that their warehouses are substantially larger in size, and they do not cater purely to businesses but also allow some or all types of consumers to obtain memberships. They are also distinguished from warehouse stores in that they usually charge annual membership fees, and require presentation of proof of membership at the warehouse entrance and again at the point of sale.
Consumers pick most items directly off pallets in retail-ready packaging (Costco)
A BJ's Wholesale club in Virginia