Sam's Club Supports Small Business in Southern California

LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-one (21) Southern California Sam's Club locations will offer exclusive additional savings for small businesses during National Small Business Week from June 17-23, 2013. Sam's Club's Business Savings Expo event includes savings of up to $2,500 on nearly 200 items and is only offered in Southern California-area locations. Although the items are targeted to help small business owners save more, anyone with a Sam's Club membership can take advantage of the week-long Instant Savings celebration.

In April, Sam's Club's Small Business Owner (SBO) Tracker identified a dramatic decrease (seven percent) in small business owners' expectations of economic improvement in the next six months from April 2012. However, while many seemed to remain skeptical of the economic recovery, a number of small businesses still went on to increase headcount and debt from March – showing optimism and commitment to growing local business and confidence in future revenues.

The Small Business Instant Savings event taking place this week is aimed at helping local Southern California small businesses, across several industries including but not limited to items for foodservice, daycare, convenience store and office managers. These exclusive savings will be instantly added to all member cards on June 17. With no coupons to clip and no rebate forms to complete and mail, Sam's Club members will receive these small business offers instantly upon checkout. New members will qualify immediately for these additional savings.

"Sam's Club serves thousands of small business members in the Southern California market every day by providing them with the tools and goods they need to their businesses with increased confidence and optimism," said Sean Mehranbod, Southwest Regional VP/RGM, Sam's Club. "Every day, our associates strive to positively impact and serve small business members, who are so important to the fabric and success of our country. We hope by offering savings atop low prices that Sam's Club can contribute to increased small business success in 2013."

Beyond savings and member benefits, Sam's Club has helped to inspire small business development and growth in Southern California for more than five years. The Sam's Club Giving Program has provided a grant to support Count Me In's 2nd Annual Urban Rebound-Los Angeles Conference and Competition for Women from June 24-26 in Downtown Los Angeles. Featuring a panel of five local Sam's Club executives addressing power and leadership, the event will also help to identify 100 local women business owners for a nine-month education and coaching program designed to help women-owned businesses grow to the $250,000 threshold quickly and sustainably. Count Me In is a leading national nonprofit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro-businesses into million dollar enterprises.

Last year the Sam's Club Giving Program pledged more than 2 million dollars focused directly on micro-lending for small businesses, as well as programs aimed at women-owned and Latino-owned businesses. These grants allowed:

• 3,600 small business owners to receive special training and education.
• Access to 265 Small Business loans.
• Creation and maintenance of 1,200 new jobs.
• Training for approximately 35,000 students about small business creation.

Southern California savings only
Twenty-one (21) Southern California Sam's Club locations will offer additional Instant Savings. Participating Sam's Club locations include:

• Chino, 3951 Grand Ave., 91710
• City Of Industry, 17835 E. Gale Ave., 91745
• Corona, 1375 E. Ontario Ave., 92882
• El Monte, 4901 N. Santa Anita Blvd., 91731
• Fountain Valley, 17099 Brookhurst St.   , 92708
• Fullerton, 629 S. Placentia Ave., 92831
• Gardena, 1399 Artesia Blvd., 90247
• Glendora, 1301 Lone Hill Ave., 91740
• La Habra, 1390 S. Beach Blvd., 90631
• Long Beach, 7480 Carson St., 90808
• Murrieta, 40500 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd., 92563
• Ontario, 951 N. Milliken Ave., 91764
• Oxnard, 2401 N. Rose Ave., 93030
• Palmdale, 39940 10th St. W., 93551
• Riverside, 6363 Valley Springs Pkwy., 92507
• San Bernardino, 1055 E. Harriman, 92408
• San Fernando, 12920 Foothill Blvd., 91340
• Santa Clarita, 26468 Carl Boyer Dr., 91350
• Southgate, 5871 Firestone Blvd., 90280
• Stanton, 12540 Beach Blvd., 90680
• Torrance, 2601 Skypark Dr., 90505

Sam's Business Membership
Sam's Club serves an estimated 600,000 Business Members daily in 621 club locations across the U.S., providing low prices, a convenient shopping experience and easier access to capital through an SBA Loan program, credit options and merchant payment processing support. With access to early shopping hours, truckload savings, invoice comparisons and increased access to capital, Business memberships start at $45 annually and Plus members at $100. Visit SamsClub.com/SmallBusiness for more information.

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. Sam's Club members averaged savings of 33 percent versus traditional retailers. To learn more about Savings Made Simple^®, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com or through Sam's Club apps, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Sam’s Club