Sam’s Club Greets Customers at New Site

Dec 22, 2005

December 22, 2005 – Today, Wal-Mart celebrated the relocation of the Sam’s Club on Xingmei Road to the SITIC Square. Leaders from Shenzhen Municipal Government and Futian District joined Mr. Joe Hatfield, Senior Vice President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and President & CEO of Wal-Mart Asia, at the ceremony.

Sam’s Club is members-only warehouse club that features the name of its founder Sam Walton. The first Sam’s Club was opened in 1983. Currently, there are over 650 Sam’s Clubs with more than 50 million members around the world. One in every three families in the United States possesses a membership card. Sam’s Club has gained the market’s trust by utilizing bulk packaging products and low profit margin to offer merchandise at an exceptional value and quality to our customers and thereby gains trust from the market.

The first Sam’s Club in China was opened in 1996, at Xiangmei Road North, Futian District, Shenzhen. Thanks to its unique operation style, spacious and comfortable shopping environment, merchandise combination at an exceptional value, and high quality services, Sam’s Club is committed to being “engaged to serve Members’ business and personal needs.” Through 10 years of efforts in serving various organizations, manufacturing and the restaurant industries, and real estate groups, Sam’s Club has established trusted relationship with its members and become their favorite store brand.

Thanks to the continued and rapid economic growth, more and more members choose to drive and shop at Sam’s Club. At a result, the existing parking lot is not big enough for accommodate all the vehicles. Very often, customers have to queue in a long line in order to get a parking space. The new site at the SITIC Square, about 2 kilometers away from the current location and next to the China International Garden and Flower Expo Park, will provide customers with a more enjoyable shopping environment. The new store is located at the intersection of Qiaoxiang Road and Longlin Road, and is near the Shennan Road. It’s only a 3-minute drive from the old one. The new Sam’s Club has 1500 parking spaces, twice as big as the old one. In addition, the 3 crossings at Qiaoxiang Road and Longlin Road make it very easy to access the new store.

The new Sam’s Club has a floor space of 20,000 square meters, 5000 square meters bigger than the old store. It has 2 floors. Each floor is 9 meters high, making the new store wider and brighter. It sells more than 4,000 assorted items, and each product has been carefully chosen to meet and exceed member’s expectation. Food products are sold at the first floor, including dried food, frozen food, and fresh food (such as bread, deli food, sea food, and fresh meat). The operation area for each division is twice bigger than that of the old store. More imported and local food products will be found in the new store. In addition, high-quality and private brand merchandise at an exceptional value to members will be increased in the new store. Household electric appliance, digital products, stationeries, apparel, cosmetics, hardware, and household products, etc. are sold on the second floor. It is also worth mentioning that the music & video division on the second floor is furnished with four audio test rooms. Last but not least, the new Sam’s Club also features some famous brands, such as Spec, China Associate Pharmacy, China Unicom, Tin Tak, Doctor Glasses, C.S.J Watch, and China Travel Service.

The new Sam’s Club is the first phase of the SITIC Square project. The second phase includes Wal-Mart Asia Home Office, SITIC Business Center, and Warner Cinema Town. Once completed at the end of next year, it will combines office, shopping and entertainment to offer Shenzhen citizens another rendezvous destination.

Having been in Shenzhen for 10 years, WM is bending itself to the second fly in the near future with its top-ranking overall planning, entertainment sets and professional service.

In 2004, Wal-Mart achieved global sales of USD 285.2 billion. It topped the Fortune Global 500 for 4 consecutive years. Wal-Mart opened its first Supercenter and first Sam’s Club in 1996. Through 10-year development, Wal-Mart has operated 53 units in China, including Supercenters, Sam’s Clubs and Neighborhood Markets in 25 cities. Till now, Wal-Mart has employed more than 27,000 associates in China with the total investment amount up to RMB1.7 billion, and paid taxes over RMB 1.5 billion.