Dive Brief:
- Sam’s Club announced Thursday a new initiative where consumers can opt-in to help “co-create” products for the club retailer’s private label line Member’s Mark.
- The Member’s Mark Community currently consists of 50,000 participants who test and trial a variety of products before they reach the retailer’s shelves. “Our approach goes way beyond traditional focus groups and surveys,” Megan Crozier, the club retailer’s chief merchant, said in a statement.
- As consumers become more reliant on private label goods, retailers are exploring new ways to source and market these products.
Dive Insight:
The creation of Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark Community is an example of a new retail strategy called “dynamic consumer engagement,” the press release said, noting it aims to help Sam’s Club better personalize its private label goods, bolster the member experience and ensure products consistently align with members’ needs and preferences.
Feedback from participants includes voting on exclusive flavors and testing new items. For example, the development of a new Member’s Mark grill included distributing 20 prototypes of the grill to select participating Sam’s Club members in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who have “experience and a genuine passion for grilling,” according to the announcement. Members tested and reviewed the grill, providing feedback that led to adjustments in the grill’s design that made the product feel more “tailor-made” for Sam’s Club customers.
“This is more than just an idea; it’s collaboration that is already happening at scale… and we see the opportunity to include all members in the future,” said Crozier.
Sam’s Club is primarily focusing on feedback and engagement from members who are regular buyers of Member’s Mark products, according to the announcement. The Members Mark Community is an opt-in network.
Grocers across the country are re-examining their private brand lines as shoppers continue to look for lower prices. Sprouts Farmers Market is in the final stages of its private label line rebrand, bringing nearly all of its branded products under one cohesive name, while Giant Food recently made store brand products the focus of its revamped loyalty program.
At the end of April, Walmart announced a new private label grocery line called bettergoods consisting of 300 items all priced under $5.
