Sam's Club recently announced that its own brand Member's Mark has launched eight new wine products, all from famous wineries in the world's premium production areas, achieving more competitive price advantages through direct sourcing and winery packaging. In the future, Sam's Club will continue to create exclusive high-quality wine and whisky products for its members through its rich global sourcing resources, professional and strict selection standards, and exclusive membership privileges, enhance the product lines of Member's Mark, and consolidate its differentiation strategy. 

Zhang Qing, Chief Sourcing Officer for the China Region at Sam's Club, said, "Sam's Club has been operating in China for 25 years, and knows members' preferences well. We aspire to bring them better lifestyles. To meet or even surpass members’ needs, Sam's Club has long adhered to strict selection standards and never compromises on quality. With its own brand effect, sourcing resources and professional selection standards, Member's Mark is an exclusive high-quality commodity brand for its members. As members' lifestyles change, our own brand is no longer limited to daily household items. By launching new wine and whisky products, we are hoping to use unexpected differentiated goods to reflect our commitment of ‘Life is Better in the Club!’"

The Member's Mark series are exclusive high-quality wine, whisky and other goods for members 

Industry data reveal several trends of wine consumption in China: "young and middle-aged consumers are more willing buyers, the sweet taste is preferred, and high-quality than entry-level wines are popular". Sam's Club included wine into the Member's Mark series in 2018. Since then, it has leveraged its global sourcing resources and powerful supply chain to select the most representative products from the world's best production areas to suit a wide range of occasions, from dinners, leisure parties and midnight drinks to local cuisines. Sam's Club has integrated in-depth considerations into the development of its wine products.

Member's Mark wines have long been very popular among members, maintaining double-digit growth for several years in a row. Product variety is expected to surpass 20 in the future to meet the needs of members with richer product lines. Similarly, the whisky product line selects the classic single malt whisky from Scotland, which ensures popularity with members for its high quality and cost performance.

In the future, Sam's Club will continue to enhance the Member's Mark series with its strong global sourcing resources, professional and strict selection standards, and exclusive membership advantages, so as to create exclusive high-quality wine and whisky products for members and consolidate the differentiation strategy of Sam’ Club.

Classic core production areas and famous wineries guarantee quality

Sam's Club describes its members as a group of "uncompromising" people who not only need goods, but also pursue premium lifestyles. To meet or even surpass their needs, Sam's Club takes "achieving ultimate differentiation" as its criterion for selecting goods.

Industry consumption statistics show that more and more consumers are no longer willing to try entry-level wines with low prices, but prefer middle-end wines with medium price but good quality assurance. There are many choices in the wine market, but without professional knowledge and skills, it is difficult for consumers to choose the most suitable wine for them. To give members a 100% guaranteed shopping experience, Sam's Club selects all its wines come from 15 classic core production areas in the world, including Burgundy, Chablis and Prosecco. 

Sam's Club offers rich alcoholic choices

All Member's Mark wines need to go multiple rounds of blind test and selection by professional wine experts. For example, there are more than 400 DOP wine-producing areas in Italy, but less than 2% of them meet Sam's standard. Only one of the 70-plus DO production areas in Spain satisfies Sam's criteria. It is with such precision standards that Sam's Club can select quality goods that most suit the taste of Chinese members.

Member's Mark's Chablis wine from chateau-class AOC in Burgundy gives high value to members

Direct sourcing ensures price advantage

Sam's Club adheres to the principle of providing high member value. All Member's Mark wine and whisky products are sourced directly from overseas wineries to ensure quality and save the cost of intermediate links, so as to achieve more competitive prices. For example, the Chablis dry white wine imported from chateau-class AOC in Burgundy, France is only priced at RMB129/750 ml, and the 21-year single malt Scotch whisky costs just RMB598/700 ml, both with high price advantage.

Member's Mark's 21-year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky achieves a breakthrough price advantage

A professional team selects premium products to suit Chinese taste

Every wine buyer of Sam's Club holds a WSET certificate. WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) is a popular wine and spirit course provider in the world, and the WSET certificate is widely recognized in the Chinese mainland wine industry.

Drawing upon its market insight, professional ability and more than 20 years of understanding of members, Sam's Club ensures that each of its products is "specially developed for members", being more exquisite and exclusive. Specialist observations and consumption data show that Chinese consumers prefer wines with a sweet taste, because Chinese dishes generally have a strong flavor, and the best-selling wines in foreign markets may not be suitable for Chinese people. 

As wines made by the same winery in different years have different tastes, Sam's sourcing team will go deep into the production areas to look at the planting situation of each winery. After rounds of comparison and selection, only wines of the designated year, winery and brewing method can be sourced for Member's Mark.

Member's mark Sonoma Pinot Noir red wine is an ideal match for Liuzhou river snails rice noodle and cold dishes

Member's Mark also has strict selection criteria for its whisky products, with precise and subtle taste control. The alcohol content of whisky on the market is mostly 40%, which has been the drinking choice of foreign countries for years. In its research, however, Sam's Club found that when Chinese members drink whisky, they prefer a stronger taste than ordinary whisky. Through repeated drinking, blind testing and comparison, Sam's Club finally locked the alcohol content of Member's Mark's single malt whisky at 46%, ensuring a good balance between alcohol content and wine to suit Chinese members.

Creative combinations of wine with Liuzhou snails rice noodle and hot pot suit a variety of life scenarios

In recent years, members have shown regular demand for wines to go with various dishes. They are more willing to try wine from all kinds of production areas. Young and middle-aged members, especially the post-80s and post-90s generations, have gradually become the mainstream of wine consumption. These people tend to live various lifestyles, no longer limited to drinking wine at banquets. They have requirements for the fun of wine drinking and the variety of drinking scenarios. Sam's Club always develops wine products around members' lifestyles, so that its wine can adapt to members' daily dietary habits, thus breaking the conventional notion that wine can only go with Western food.

For example, Member's Mark Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and OZV Lodi Zin both feature a full flavor, which is suitable for the tradition of Chinese roundtable meals. With their slightly sweet taste and rich fruit flavor, these wines can go along with multiple dishes. Member's Mark Sonoma Pinot Noir Red Wine has a strong fruit pulp flavor. It is a surprise choice to match with cold night dishes and even Liuzhou snails rice noodle. Member's Mark Sangria Wine is made with red wine as the base, added with fruit spices. Priced at RMB79/1.5L, it can match spicy hot pot, or combine with fruit and ice to make a fresh and sweet homemade aperitif, suitable for parties.

Member's Mark's Sangria wine is a suitable item to go with hot pot or homemade aperitif

Sam's Club introduced Member's Mark into the Chinese market in 2000. It currently operates in 700 kinds of products, covering almost all categories. From classic products like mushrooms and jujubes to new best-selling products such as Swiss rolls, Member's Mark fully embodies the brand value of Sam's Club from product development, quality control to pricing. In the early stages of product development, Sam's Club well utilizes its global sourcing resources to select premium production areas and suppliers. Only those suppliers that pass strict inspections are qualified to cooperate with Sam's Club. Sam's Club requires its own brands to benchmark against the product quality of well-known brands and offer extremely competitive prices. During the development process, Sam's Club has strict quality control and detailed requirements. After products are put on the shelves, Sam's Club will carry out regular spot checks to ensure effective supervision and quality control.