Sam’s Club 30-year China ad: Key takeaways
- Sam’s Club is celebrating 30 years in China with a nostalgic campaign film built from real members’ photos and videos
- The WeChat campaign extends the anniversary into an ongoing user-generated content drive, reinforcing the retailer’s community credentials
- With more than 60 stores and double-digit transaction growth, expansion is testing the exclusivity and trust underpinning its membership model
Sam’s Club (山姆会员商店) opened its first China store in Shenzhen on 12 August 1996. Those 30 years are an eon in the time frame of foreign brands-China market. To celebrate, Sam’s club has assembled a campaign film with the help of its members.
In tone, it comes off a lot like a home video
My Sam’s Moments (我的山姆瞬间) uses the real snaps and short vids of its customers in stitched-together moments of laughter and family life, free samples tasted and sweet staff moments. In tone, it comes off a lot like a home video, and there is a real, touching element of nostalgia to what we see on screen.
The film is supported by an invitation for members to post further moments in the WeChat post’s comments section. The invitation turns the anniversary into an on-going member content campaign.
The brand now has more than 60 stores in China and – despite hiccups – Walmart data says Sam’s Club transactions continued to grow at double-digit rates in early 2026. That says members remain engaged. However, those members may also be Sam’s Club’s weakness in a time of growth.
The Dao view: Growth is testing Sam’s members-first promise
Customers pay RMB 260 (US$38.6) or RMB 680 (US$100.9) annually because they trust that Sam’s Club offer something unavailable in ordinary supermarkets. It comes down to quality. When the promise is fulfilled, the retail can rely on loyalty, but the past two years have seen that trust shaken.
When the promise is fulfilled, the retail can rely on loyalty, but the past two years have seen that trust shaken
Members criticised its changing product selection in 2025 and regulators summoned Walmart over Sam’s food-safety problems in June 2026. The campaign film addresses neither of these concerns. However, giving the members the camera does reaffirm their importance as growth makes a members-first promise more difficult to keep.
