Consumers are invited to shape and contribute to Member’s Mark, the private brand offered exclusively at Sam’s Club, with Member’s Mark Community.
"Our approach goes beyond traditional focus groups and surveys, with true engagement that will shape the future of retail by creating more personalized experiences for our members." says Megan Crozier, chief merchant for Sam’s Club. Already, 50,000 actively participating consumers in the community are experiencing this new level of personalization and participation in the retail industry.
To better support shoppers during grilling season, Sam's Club identified avid grillers with a questionnaire and distributed 20 prototypes to members in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area. Members tested the grills and their feedback led to feature adjustments to ensure the product aligned with their needs and preferences.
Co-Creating Consumer Communities
The Sam's Club Member’s Mark Community Provides Valuable Feedback
Trend Themes
1. Co-creative Consumer Communities - Consumers are becoming integral partners in product development, offering real-time feedback and ideas.
2. Personalized Retail Experiences - Retailers are leveraging community insights to tailor products closely aligned with consumer preferences.
3. Engagement-focused Product Testing - Brands are moving beyond traditional surveys to involve consumers directly in the product testing phase.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Retailers are cultivating deeper connections with customers through participative brand communities.
2. Consumer Goods - The consumer goods industry is embracing feedback loops to refine products more dynamically.
3. Market Research - Incorporating consumers as active collaborators, market research is evolving to produce more nuanced insights.