BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Sam's Club announced plans yesterday during the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Annual Analyst Conference to open a membership warehouse club with an expanded assortment of imported products from Mexico. To be called Mas Club, it is slated to open during the first half of 2009 in Houston.
"Mas Club will cater to the wants and needs of Hispanic families and entrepreneurs," said Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Sam's Club. "We are excited about this club and the new range of products and services we can offer in Houston. Our objective is to create an additional shopping choice [image-nocss] that provides currently unavailable value for families, restaurant owners, convenience stores and more."
Mas Club will offer fresh produce and meats, including a variety of cuts, and a full-service meat and seafood counter. The club will carry a unique selection of Hispanic foods and international brands including beverages, spices and candy for both family use and small business resale. To enhance the member experience, there is space for an outdoor shopping and an event area, and the cafe will offer fresh made tortillas. This location will have its own gas station, exclusive to Mas Club Members.
New signage and a Mas Club logo will be created for the facility and when complete there will be 143,000 sq. ft. of shopping and warehouse space.
Mas Club membership will be exclusive. Existing Sam's Club Members interested in Mas Club will need to purchase a separate annual membership to shop at the facility. Membership fees for Mas Club have not been determined at this time, the company said.
In June, Sam's Club announced that a store in Houston would be the first to focus on commercial customers in a new marketing concept for the warehouse wholesaler/retailer. In July, a Sam's Club there was rebranded as a "Sam's Club Business Center." The location was chosen for the chain's first business center to capitalize on the already high number of commercial customers who shop there. (Click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage. Alsoclick here for coverage of how Sam's Club is helping c-stores.)
Sam's Club is a division of Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores.
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