Sam’s Club Reimagines the Checkout Experience with AI

Sam’s Club is embarking on a major transformation that could redefine the retail experience, announcing plans to phase out traditional checkout lanes at its nearly 600 locations across the U.S. The warehouse club is leaning heavily into artificial intelligence and computer vision to simplify and speed up the shopping journey for its members.

Building on the success of its “Scan & Go” app, which allows customers to scan items and pay directly from their smartphones, Sam’s Club is now introducing a new layer of innovation: exit technology powered by AI. Instead of waiting in line for manual receipt checks at the door, members will simply walk through an AI-enabled exit that automatically verifies their purchases.

The system uses a combination of computer vision and digital receipt data to confirm that items in a shopper’s cart match what was paid for—eliminating the need for traditional staff checks and reducing congestion at store exits. The rollout follows a successful pilot program across 10 locations, and Sam’s Club has stated it expects to implement the technology in all of its stores by the end of the year.

This shift reflects a broader investment by Sam’s Club parent company, Walmart Inc., in operational efficiency and customer-centric innovation. By removing friction from the shopping experience, Sam’s Club is betting that members will enjoy faster visits and greater convenience—critical factors in a competitive retail environment where expectations around speed and service are higher than ever.

In a world where automation is often met with concern about job displacement, Sam’s Club emphasizes that its AI enhancements are designed to free up associates to focus more on member service and less on routine, manual tasks. Associates previously stationed at exits will be reassigned to roles that enhance the in-store experience, such as assisting with product recommendations, maintaining displays, and supporting mobile checkout education.

Sam’s Club’s technology investments come at a time when many retailers are exploring the potential of AI to streamline operations, improve accuracy, and enhance customer satisfaction. Yet few are moving as decisively as Sam’s Club in reshaping core shopping rituals like checkout and exit.

As AI continues to evolve and customer expectations for speed and ease intensify, innovations like these could soon become the new standard across retail—not just for warehouse clubs, but for all formats seeking to deliver on the promise of frictionless commerce.

Winning With Walmart

Winning With Walmart is an independent platform for suppliers, sellers, solution providers, and industry experts.

Articles are developed by staff editors, contributing experts, and trusted partners.

Some are researched and drafted with the assistance of AI tools and are reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by Winning With Walmart editors before publication.

Editorial judgment, sourcing decisions, and final approval rest with the publication's human editors in every case.

We are committed to accuracy and fairness. If you believe this article contains an error, we welcome your feedback.