Joy to the Whirl! Sam's Club Simplifies the Season with Easy Access to Exceptional Values via Holiday Site and Enhanced Mobile App

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season, 46.7 percent of time-strapped shoppers will seek out retailers' holiday deals on the Internet, up from 43.9 percent last year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF)*. To make that even easier, Sam's Club today announced the launch of its holiday shopping site, SamsClub.com/gifts and an enhanced mobile app that together streamline on-the-go and at-home shopping.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111101/DA98066)

"Our members are looking for simple solutions that will expand their access to Sam's Club values round the clock. The SamsClub.com and mobile teams have responded to our members' shopping needs, creating cutting-edge solutions to connect and save," said John Boswell, senior vice president of Marketing for Sam's Club. "We're changing the holiday landscape with exceptional values, innovative interactivity and time-saving solutions for shoppers. Members can now access our extraordinary assortment of holiday values from anywhere in the U.S., any hour of the day."

Holiday Solutions at SamsClub.com

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, members and non-members alike can connect to SamsClub.com/gifts, a PC/iPad®/tablet/smartphone-friendly, full solution site for every aspect of holiday planning, whether it's preparing and decorating the home, entertaining friends and family, giving presents or meal planning.  SamsClub.com/gifts will feature a daily "Holiday Value of the Day" including online exclusives, gifts with free shipping and instant savings at extraordinary values.  SamsClub.com/gifts also features digital versions of Gift Guide and Entertaining Catalogs, a listing of weekly savings events, holiday hours, shipping cut-off dates and more.

Get the Lead on Holiday Values with Email & Text Options

By signing up for email, text/SMS or mobile alerts at SamsClub.com/gifts, members can be the first to know about Sam's Club Holiday Value of the Day beginning Nov. 1. Featuring giftable ideas from electronics and gaming to toys and apparel, including:

• TVs: 32" Magnavox LCD 720p HDTV
• Video Games: Xbox 360 Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Console
• Fashion Apparel: The London Fog® Marissa Leather Tote, and;
• Appliances: Keurig Signature Brewer Bundle with My K-cup reusable filter and 36 assorted K-cups.

Enhanced Smartphone App Now Enables Shopping On-the-Go

According to the NRF survey, 52.6% of those who own a smartphone said they will use their device to research products and purchase holiday items this year. To simplify access to Sam's Club quality goods, Sam's Club announces new mobile shopping capabilities for smartphone users on the improved Sam's Club app, free and easy to download by visiting m.SamsClub.com or texting "APP" to 72671 (Message and data rates may apply.)

As the only warehouse club that offers a shop-on-the-go mobile app for both online and in-club items, it's now even simpler to make purchases from the entire SamsClub.com merchandise assortment and place a Click 'n' Pull order for items only found in-club.

Available to all iPhone®, Android and Blackberry users, the Sam's Club mobile app also allows users to:**

• Create custom shopping and gifting lists
• View a map and store layout of their local Sam's Club
• Purchase, renew and upgrade memberships, and
• View customized eValues, paperless coupons available to Sam's Club Plus members.  

"We're excited to present an enhanced Sam's Club app that expands mobile shopping opportunities to include memberships, online and in-club purchasing," said Matt Martin, senior manager for Mobile Marketing at Sam's Club. "With more than 900,000 users already engaged, the Sam's Club app now allows users to literally hold shopping solutions in the palms of their hands."

* The NRF 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey polled 8,585 consumers and was conducted for NRF by BIGresearch October 4-11, 2011. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

**Membership is not required. Non-members will be charged a 10% upcharge on all SamsClub.com and Mobile App purchases.

About Sam's Club

Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is the nation's eighth largest retailer and a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products and services to more than 47 million members in clubs across the U.S., as well as in Brazil, China and Mexico. Members save an average of 30 percent over traditional retailers. To learn more about Savings Made Simple®, visit SamsClub.com, and look for Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.

Attention Journalists: Broadcast quality b-roll available for download

Broadcast quality soundbites available for download

SOURCE Sam's Club