Low price, convenient options, high-quality products, and saving money by buying in bulk — these are the features often praised by millions of Sam’s Club loyal members.
It all started four decades ago, when the most notable business leader of that time, Sam Walton, wanted to help other small business owners succeed.
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Knowing firsthand the challenges small businesses face, Walton opened the first Sam’s Club in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
Fast-forward 42 years, and Walmart’s (WMT) Sam’s Club has expanded its offering to meet the everyday living needs of most consumers, and not just small businesses. It operates about 600 locations across the United States and Puerto Rico, plus locations in China.
At the core of Sam’s Club’s philosophy is the membership value, just like at Costco, its biggest rival. Both chains are membership-based, which suggest they are generally competing for new members in places where they both have their clubs.
Once they engage loyal members, they need to fight for member renewals, which is why they constantly upgrade their offerings.
And Sam’s Club’s newest product comes directly as a result of member feedback.
Sam’s Club is rolling out Member’s Mark 12” Artisan Margherita Pizza with dough handmade in Italy.
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Sam’s Club introduces new artisan pizza — fresh from Italy
Sam’s Club on July 1 unveiled a premium and convenient meal solution — Member’s Mark 12” Artisan Margherita Pizza. What’s so special about yet another frozen pizza is that its dough is actually made in Italy.
Answering customer demand, Sam’s Club focused on making and providing an Italian-style pizza with artisan crust made from scratch in Rome with high-quality Italian flour. It’s hand-stretched and partially baked on stone and then shipped to the United States.
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Let’s face it, when you’re craving a real pizza, there’s only one place in the world — Italy. I still remember the taste of one slice of Margherita I had in Venice more than 20 years ago.
And it wasn’t even at a fancy restaurant; it was something like a fast-food kiosk, and very affordable. Still, it was far more flavorful than any other pizza I’d had in my life. It was pure magic.
Back to Sam’s Club’s new pizza with dough from Italy. Once it arrives, it gets covered with its signature sauce — also made from scratch — featuring tomato, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
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Then there are cherry tomatoes straight from Türkiye, oven-roasted and marinated in oil, oregano, garlic, and salt. Shredded and fresh mozzarella is all-natural, coming from Wisconsin, while Mamber’s Mark Itali Basil pesto incorporates basil from the Liguria region of Northern Italy.
After all, this special pie should take you on a journey to Italy, says Sam’s Club.
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Sam’s Club’s other recent milestones and upgrades
The new pizza is not only a meticulously crafted new treat, but also reflects the company’s mission of culinary integrity. Sam’s Club has been working on ingredient transparency for a while now, promoting the idea that it is important to know where your food comes from.
Sam’s Club also recently made a major food court change — a pizza delivery option to members. Now, members can access delivery in as little as three hours for free or quicker for $8.
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Pizzas for delivery are 16” with a price tag of $8.98 and include the following options: cheese, pepperoni, and four meat.
This turned out to be a great success, according to Sam’s Club CFO Todd Sears.
“Pizza delivery has been incredible and has exceeded our expectations, meaning we quickly rolled it out to all 600 (club stores). What’s surprising is the average value of a pizza order is 10 times the price of the pizza. People are adding other things to their basket,” Sears said.
And while Costco is popular for hot dogs, loyal customers argue that Sam’s Club pizza is among the best available. Posts on Reddit praised Sam’s Club’s frozen pizza for being crusty and less greasy than the competition.
The Club’s new Italian pizza might be yet another hit in the making.