Grand opening celebration to include $25,000 in grant awards to local nonprofits

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- (Business Wire)

Sam’s Club will open its newest location in Columbia Thursday, July 21, offering more savings, services and shopping convenience to local families and business owners. Doors open at 733 Fashion Drive following an 8:00 a.m. grand opening ceremony.

“We’re excited to finally open our doors and be a part of the growth in northeast Columbia,” said Club Manager Josh Shearer. “Along with this brand new club, we bring new technology and convenience with our new Scan & Go shopping app and our enhanced Club Pickup ordering service. We can’t wait for our members to try it.”

New club innovations

The Columbia club will be one of the first Sam’s Clubs in the country to offer the convenience of Scan & Go shopping. The mobile app makes members’ checkout process faster and more convenient by being able to scan UPC codes on items as they load them into their cart. When they are done shopping and ready to check out, they can pay directly on their phone from anywhere in the club and bypass the checkout line.

The Columbia club will also offer Club Pickup, which enables members to order household or business items at SamsClub.com and will be ready for pickup in less than 24 hours.

Commitment to community

The grand opening celebration will focus on the company’s commitment to being the club of the community by awarding $25,000 in grants to several local nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the Sam’s Club Giving grant program, the company also supports the area by sourcing products from local and regional businesses. Sam’s Club is proud to carry several local and regional items, including South Carolina Peaches, Carolina Gumbaya Seafood Gumbo and Palmetto Brewing Co. Through the company’s Road Show program, several other regional businesses, like Palmetto Cheese, will be featured during grand opening weekend.

Grand opening ceremony to feature local officials, special events

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and members of the Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce will be among those attending Thursday’s grand opening ceremony. The Richland Northeast High School JROTC Color Guard will present the colors.

To add to the excitement, Marcus Lattimore, former running back for the South Carolina Gamecocks and San Francisco 49ers, will be signing autographs for fans at the new club Thursday, July 21 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sam’s Club will also showcase a variety of food samples and product demonstrations throughout grand opening weekend.

Membership information

A Sam's Club membership is an investment that more than pays for itself. Whether buying for a household or a business, a Sam's Club member can access exclusive savings on merchandise and outstanding benefits. Memberships range from $45 to $100.

• Sam’s Club Savings and Business memberships run $45 per year and include Instant Savings which are limited-time promotional discounts that are electronically loaded on a member's card and automatically applied at the time of purchase of the item.
• A Sam’s Club Plus membership costs $100 per year and includes early shopping hours and Cash Back Rewards meaning Plus members earn $10 in Cash Rewards for every $500 they spend in qualifying pre-tax purchases.

As part of a pre-grand opening membership promotion, residents can get up to a $30 gift card when they sign up as a new member.

Non-members are encouraged to visit the new Columbia club and take advantage of a free One-Day Pass available online or in the club at the Member Service Desk.

About Sam’s Club

Sam’s Club^®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in 653 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam’s Club, visit the Sam’s Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam’s Club on Twitter and Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160715005549/en/

Contacts:

Sam’s Club
Dianna Gee, 800-331-0085
Dianna.Gee@samsclub.com

Source: Sam’s Club