Sam's Club reinvents Member's Mark brand

Sam’s Club is upping its game in private brands.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based warehouse club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, said Wednesday it has reinvented its Member’s Mark brand — the result of heavy investment over the past year and streamlining 21 private brand names into one. As part of the overhaul, Sam’s Club said in a press release that it formed a dedicated team of product developers, culinary experts and food scientists to ensure each item emphasizes quality and value.

From pure Italian-sourced olive oil to honey from a bee cooperative, the revamped Sam’s Club Member’s Mark brand now features hand-picked ingredients and premium products across both food and general merchandise categories.

“In the past we made sure we were competitive with national brands,” said Chandra Holt, vice president of private brands for Sam’s Club. “But in today's environment, a lot of our members want better than that. Our goal is to make sure every Member’s Mark item is developed based on what our members want today.”

Alongside buyers, the private brand team traveled the globe tapping experts — including top sommeliers in France and local olive and tomato farmers in Italy — to procure best-in-class ingredients and processing methods, according to the press release.

One example of an item developed based on member feedback is the new Member’s Mark All Natural Pulled Pork. The company worked with pit masters from the Kansas City Barbeque Society to create a pre-smoked barbecue with just a few simple ingredients: pork, water and seasoning.

This year, Sam’s Club is introducing 300 new items while renovating twice that number. The company plans to add about 300 new items per year. The product lineup will span from fresh food to apparel and to health and wellness. The Member’s Mark brand also received a fresh design, which Sam's Club described as a new modern, bold and stylish look with a unifying logo.

New items under the Member’s Mark brand include:

·       Sea Salt Caramels – handcrafted caramels covered in milk chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt.

·       Honey – sourced from a U.S. bee cooperative representing hundreds of independent beekeepers

·       Wines – worked with award-winning wineries to produce Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet

·       Donut Shop Coffee – fair trade certified K-Cups.

·       Lasagna – created from an Italian family recipe from a woman-owned business.