Advancing the Retail Experience Network: Connecting Experience with Measurement and Innovation

Last year, Sam's Club Member Access Platform (MAP) evolved into the industry’s first Retail Experience Network^TM, a model designed around how Sam’s Club members actually shop. Since then, MAP has moved from vision to execution, building a full-funnel media and marketing network that connects best-in-class on-site, in-club and offsite experiences, tying them directly to measurable business outcomes.

MAP’s approach is centered on the member experience, whether members are in a club, using the mobile app or discovering something new. We believe retail media should enhance those experiences. At the same time, suppliers and advertisers expect measurable results. Because every interaction is tied to a verified member ID, MAP can connect media exposure to sales across channels with precision. This closed-loop view allows the network to deliver more relevant experiences, smarter targeting and a clear understanding of incremental impact.

"Our role is to leverage more than 40 years of first-party deterministic membership data to create programs that deliver clear business outcomes for our advertisers, while also ensuring those experiences are engaging and valuable for our members," said Harvey Ma, Vice President and General Manager, Sam's Club Member Access Platform (MAP).

MAP’s focus for the year is: enhancing experiences for members and advertisers, advancing measurement to provide true business impact and scaling both through technology and automation.

Enhancing Experiences

MAP prioritizes creating relevant, engaging and member-enhancing content to deepen experiences for our members and partners. One new way is through Expert Review Videos. When members are considering making purchases, particularly an item that will be part of their daily lives for years to come, questions arise. Is this the right choice? Is the value there? Will it meet my needs? Expert Review Videos provide answers to those questions earlier in the decision journey. MAP integrates credible, expert-led video content directly into the online shopping experience.

Adding tablets to the demo cart experience further elevates the shopping experience by letting members easily rate and review items they sample in-club. After scanning their membership ID, they can submit a rating and review on the spot. These reviews are automatically published to the product’s detail page, helping brands increase both the volume and quality of ratings. In addition to enhancing the member experience, this capability creates a powerful measurement tool that allows advertisers to track how in-club demos influence sales over time, all directly tied to membership IDs.

MAP is also launching the MAP Influencer Program to give brands access to Sam’s Club’s exclusive Creator Network. This vetted community of creators brings brand stories to life through authentic, social-first content. By combining creator content with MAP’s first-party deterministic data and closed-loop measurement, the MAP Influencer Program turns inspiration into both in-club and online sales. This gives every campaign built-in credibility and strong purchase intent.

The Measurement Advantage

But driving results within the Sam’s Club ecosystem is only part of the equation. Most brands operate across multiple retailers, and they need to understand total impact. That’s why MAP is introducing MAP Rest of Market (ROM) Analysis. MAP can now measure how campaigns influence performance beyond Sam’s Club by leveraging its membership model and deterministic IDs, powered by Circana's robust multi-outlet panel of over 500M loyalty cards. MAP ROM provides visibility across the broader US marketplace, enabling advertisers to evaluate total incremental sales, iROAS and new buyer acquisition across retailers. Campaigns using MAP ROM show a median 17% lift in iROAS compared to measuring Sam’s Club performance alone. Along with tools like multi-touch attribution and lifetime value analysis, MAP is moving beyond single-campaign reporting to a more complete view of growth across channels and over time.

That same principle extends to offsite media. Through MAP’s integration with Meta, brands can reach Sam’s Club members on Facebook and Instagram while still tying exposure back to verified transactions. This isn’t probabilistic targeting—it’s deterministic, powered by membership data and enabled through a LiveRamp clean room environment. Advertisers can extend their reach into everyday digital environments while maintaining full-funnel measurement, connecting media exposure directly to online and in-club sales.

Tech-Powered Foundation

Underlying all of this is a tech-powered foundation designed to scale both experience and measurement. MAP is focused on making data more actionable—improving signal quality, accelerating insights and enabling more consistent, data-informed decisions across campaigns. AI plays a key role by enhancing targeting, optimizing performance and surfacing smarter insights. Over time, it will further streamline how campaigns are planned, activated and measured—reducing manual complexity and enabling more adaptive execution. We’re also extending these capabilities through MAP Partners Club and our growing API ecosystem, giving advertisers more flexibility in how they access and scale with MAP across their preferred tools and platforms. Looking ahead, we’re building toward more intelligent, agent-driven systems that reduce friction, increase speed and translate insights into action—delivering stronger outcomes for advertisers and better experiences for members.

Why This Matters Now

Retail media has entered a new phase defined by accountability. Advertisers are no longer satisfied with impressions alone. They expect clear, measurable growth. The Retail Experience Network is built to meet that standard. By connecting engaging experiences, closed-loop measurement and advanced technology, MAP is building a fully integrated system designed to drive meaningful outcomes for both members and partners.