Sam's Club retail media network: what Sam's Club Connect (formerly MAP) sells and how to buy it

The checkout runs on the shopper's own phone. Scan & Go lets members scan items, pay in the app and skip the line. In July 2024 MAP put display ads on that cart page, refreshing after each scan (Walmart, 24 July 2024). Sam's Club called it the first retail media platform inside a mobile self-checkout. For a brand, that is an ad seen in the aisle and measured at the till by the same member ID.

The second difference is how far measurement reaches. Most networks only count sales in their own stores. In April 2026 MAP added Rest of Market analysis, built on Circana's panel of more than 500 million loyalty cards. It estimates how a Sam's Club campaign moved a brand's sales at other retailers too. Sam's Club says campaigns measured this way show a median 17% higher iROAS than Sam's Club-only reads (company claim, Walmart, 16 April 2026).

Third, the network now sits inside a larger plan. The June 2026 announcement aligned Walmart Connect US, Walmart Connect International and Sam's Club on shared technology, tools and measurement. The three still operate separately (Walmart, 22 June 2026). Buyers who know Walmart Connect should expect more common tooling over time, not one merged sales team.

The natural comparison is Costco's retail media network. Both clubs know every buyer through a paid card. Sam's Club leans harder on physical experiences: IndyCar sponsorships, in-club radio and fuel-pump screens. It also states that all advertising revenue is reinvested into club operations, such as wages and remodels (Walmart, 29 April 2025).

Onsite. Sponsored products, sponsored videos and Brand Amplifier placements appear in search results on samsclub.com and in the app. Onsite display and Expert Review Videos run on product pages. GhostBed used an expert video with a physical therapist and reported about 4x sales lift (company claim, Walmart, 16 April 2026).

Offsite. CTV ads launched in December 2023 through The Trade Desk, alongside offsite display and retargeting (Walmart, 12 December 2023). Social ads on Facebook and Instagram match members through a LiveRamp clean room. Creator content runs through the MAP Influencer Program.

In-club. Fuel-screen ads, in-club audio on Sam's Club Radio and demo-cart tablets were added in April 2026 (invidis, 24 April 2026). Large activations such as Race to the Club with Andretti Global sit under "Omni Experiences". The in-store retail media guide explains how such screens are counted and sold.

Every purchase needs a membership, so Sam's Club can link online and in-club baskets to one person. Targeting uses what members buy, search and engage with. The measurement page also offers predictive targeting by purchase propensity (Sam's Club Connect, accessed 9 November 2026).

Data stays with Sam's Club. Offsite matching runs in a clean room, so brands receive segments and reports, not member files. Exported reporting is offered through "Data Your Way", which lists custom reports and flexible data exports.

The Media and Sales Performance Dashboard shows attributed sales, ROAS, new buyers and conversion in one self-service view. On average, the network says campaigns see 54% new buyers and 36% incremental sales (company claims, Sam's Club Connect, accessed 9 November 2026). It also lists brand lift studies and customer lifetime value reports.

The site says independent partners validate performance but does not name them. We found no MRC accreditation. Use the retail media measurement standards guide to compare these reports with IAB and MRC guidance.

1. Send a brief. The Get Started form on samsclubconnect.com leads to a goals review, a call and a media plan.
2. Pick a service level. Choose managed service, self-service tools or an approved partner such as Pacvue, Skai or CommerceIQ.
3. Start in search. Sponsored Products and Sponsored Videos sit closest to purchase and report through the dashboard.
4. Add the club. Ask about Scan & Go ads, fuel screens, radio and sampling if your items sell in clubs.
5. Extend and measure. Add CTV through The Trade Desk or Meta through the LiveRamp clean room. Agree Omni-Impact or Rest of Market reads before launch.

It suits:

• suppliers already stocked in Sam's Club clubs or on samsclub.com;
• brands that sell at many retailers and want Rest of Market reads;
• advertisers who value sampling, events and in-club audio;
• teams already working with Pacvue, Skai or CommerceIQ.

It suits less:

• brands without Sam's Club distribution;
• advertisers who need accredited, third-party audited metrics;
• buyers who want purely self-serve, programmatic access to every format.

• Sam's Club advertising revenue for any period. Walmart reports only global advertising totals.
• Minimum spend, rate cards or CPMs for any format.
• The independent partners that validate performance.
• How much Walmart Connect technology Sam's Club Connect uses after June 2026.
• The member base on which the 54% and 36% averages rest.

1. Walmart, "Walmart Sets the Vision for the Next Era of Global Commerce Media" (22 June 2026). https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/06/22/walmart-sets-the-vision-for-the-next-era-of-global-commerce-media
2. Path to Purchase Institute, "Sam's Club MAP Rebrands as Sam's Club Connect in Walmart Ad Business Overhaul" (23 June 2026). https://p2pi.com/sams-club-map-rebrands-sams-club-connect-walmart-ad-business-overhaul
3. Walmart (Sam's Club newsroom), "Advancing the Retail Experience Network: Connecting Experience with Measurement and Innovation" (16 April 2026). https://corporate.walmart.com/about/samsclub/news/2026/04/16/advancing-the-retail-experience-network-connecting-experience-with-measurement-and-innovation
4. Walmart (Sam's Club newsroom), "Sam's Club MAP Scales In-Club and Omni Experiences That Create Memorable Connections with Members" (23 April 2026). https://corporate.walmart.com/about/samsclub/news/2026/04/23/sams-club-map-scales-inclub-and-omni-experiences-that-create-memorable-connections-with-members
5. Walmart (Sam's Club newsroom), "Elevating Retail Media to Retail Experiences" (29 April 2025). https://corporate.walmart.com/about/samsclub/news/2025/04/29/elevating-retail-media-to-retail-experiences
6. Walmart (Sam's Club newsroom), "Sam's Club MAP Launches Display Ads in Sam's Club Mobile App's Unique Scan & Go Feature" (24 July 2024). https://corporate.walmart.com/about/samsclub/news/2024/07/24/sams-club-map-launches-display-ads-in-sams-club-mobile-apps-unique-scan-and-go-feature
7. Walmart (Sam's Club newsroom), "Sam's Club MAP Launches Full Funnel Video Capabilities With Advanced Member Measurement" (12 December 2023). https://corporate.walmart.com/about/samsclub/news/2023/12/12/sams-club-map-launches-full-funnel-video-capabilities-with-advanced-member-measurement
8. Sam's Club Connect, "Solutions" (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.samsclubconnect.com/solutions.html
9. Sam's Club Connect, "Measurement" (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.samsclubconnect.com/measurement.html
10. Sam's Club Connect, "Approach" and "Partners" (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.samsclubconnect.com/approach.html and https://www.samsclubconnect.com/partners.html