Sam's Club Brings Value, Ease to Holiday Entertaining with Open House Event

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With holiday entertaining in full swing, Sam's Club opens its doors to the public for a nationwide Holiday Open House. From Friday, Dec. 6 to Sunday, Dec. 8, all are welcome to shop Sam's Club to discover entertaining inspirations and party-perfect tastings at an amazing value.

Open House attendees will receive the 21-page Sam's Club Holiday Party Planning Guide, which features sample menus, recipes and shopping lists to plan any holiday event from a formal dinner for six to an office party for 10, 20, 30 or more guests. The free planning guide is available at Sam's Club Tastes & Tips demonstration booths while supplies last.

"Sam's Club is a valuable partner for the holiday host. Our members rely on us to  simplify party-planning and bring on-trend flavors and excitement to their holiday gatherings," said Charles Redfield, executive vice president of merchandise for Sam's Club. "We welcome our communities to visit a local club and SamsClub.com this weekend to experience great quality items at a value worth celebrating."  

The Holiday Open House extends to SamsClub.com, where visitors can shop the season's most popular gifts, toys, on-trend housewares and top-brand technology. Visitors shopping SamsClub.com can purchase items without fees by entering their email address prior to checkout.

Party Planning Trend #1: The Cheese Plate
In a recent Sam's Club/Harris Interactive survey, 81 percent of adults agreed that cheese plates or platters are a staple at holiday gatherings. Sam's Club presents the finest collection of premium cheeses with various textures, flavor profiles and regions at 30 to 50 percent below the average price of traditional grocery stores.

"A great cheese plate should be diverse in texture, origin and flavor. A simple anecdote for hosts to consider when shopping for premium cheese is 'Something old, something new, something stinky and something blue'," says Jim McGrath, Jr., gourmet deli & cheese director at Sam's Club.  "Colorful trimmings like fruits, honey, sliced baguette, pistachios or Creme Brulee Almonds complement cheeses without overshadowing their bold flavor profiles."  

With dozens of premium cheese options available at Sam's Club, a sample cheese plate diverse in origin and texture could include:

• USA/soft – Floralie Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese, $6.98
• Ireland/hard – Kerrygold BallyShannon Cheddar, exclusive to Sam's Club, $5.98/lb
• France/semi-soft – President 28.2 oz Brie, $8.98
• Spain/hard – El Cortijo Manchego, $11.48/lb   

Party Planning Trend #2: Sweet Mini Surprises
Sweeten the holidays with treats that encourage merry mingling. "Individual, bite-sized desserts are trending because they allow guests to easily socialize while they sample holiday sweets," said Eileen Fischer, bakery director at Sam's Club. "Members can mix and match these of-the-moment miniatures with slices of more traditional desserts to appeal to a variety of tastes."

Big flavors, small bites:

• Artisan Fresh Cake Balls - 25 ct, $14.98, in chocolate fudge, coconut or red velvet
• Dessert Shots – 8 ct, $11.98, individual parfaits with raspberry, dark chocolate mousse or cream cheese fillings
• Suzy's Cheesecake Bites – 24 ct, $14.98, in New York, Turtle and Strawberry bites, enrobed in white chocolate or dark chocolate

Slices of tradition:

• Daily Chef French Silk Pie, $7.98, velvety smooth chocolate cream pie
• Daily Chef Pumpkin Cheese Cake, $11.98, 12 slices of swirled New York and Pumpkin cheesecake flavors with fall spices and graham cracker crust;  
• Artisan Fresh Assorted Pie Sampler, $11.98, each quarter of the pie is a different flavor - Apple, Cherry, Blueberry and Peach in one.

Not the Host? Tips for the Gracious Guest
Simple gestures can leave a lasting impression with the holiday host and keep members on the invite list for years to come. Stretch the holiday budget with gift sets and create an element of surprise with unexpected theme baskets:  

• Starbucks Cup Gift Set, $9.98
• Aromatique Candle Gift Set, $19.98, four in one premium candle set with individual gift boxes
• Tazo Tea Gift Set, $19.98 with teapot and two tea cups
• Pizza Party Gift Basket, $29.98
• Chili Cook-Off Gift Set, $29.98

Editor's Notes: Pricing and item availability may vary by location and in Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, and on SamsClub.com. Visitors may be asked to visit Member Services to receive a temporary no-fees shopping pass.  

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 savings, surprises and exclusive services to millions of members in 630 clubs across the U.S and SamsClub.com. Sam's Club members averaged savings of 33 percent versus traditional retailers.¹ To learn more about Savings Made Simple^®, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.

1 Based on estimated annualized savings on items Members purchased in select categories derived from a survey conducted in 30 U.S. markets between 2/25/2013 and 3/15/2013 comparing our regular unit prices to regular and shelf-visible sale and loyalty discount unit prices of selected non-club competitors, including but not limited to grocery stores and mass retailers but excluding Walmart®. Local savings for individual customers vary. For more information, please send requests to the attention of Sam's Club Member Services, 2101 SE Simple Savings Drive, Bentonville, AR 72716-0745.

SOURCE Sam's Club