Sam’s Club has always known who its members are. But that deterministic membership data is becoming more than a way to measure purchases. It is helping Sam’s Club connect media, product discovery and member experiences inside and increasingly outside the warehouse.

Harvey Ma, Vice President and General Manager of Sam’s Club Member Access Platform, joins The Middlemen to explain how Sam’s Club Connect is building on the company’s membership model. Because every transaction is tied to a member, Sam’s Club can understand how people shop over time and use that context to create more relevant advertising and experiences.

The conversation explores how product sampling and demos have evolved from traditional merchandising programs into measurable media products. Members can discover and try products in the club, while brands receive feedback and insights that can improve everything from product pages to future campaigns.

Harvey also takes us behind Race to the Club, an activation that brought the Sam’s Club experience to IndyCar events. Members received VIP access, prospective members could experience the benefits of joining, and brands demonstrated products in an environment built around entertainment rather than a traditional shopping trip.

The result is a broader vision for retail media: one in which membership connects the warehouse, digital media and cultural events, allowing Sam’s Club to create new experiences wherever its members and prospective members already are.

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