The clock was ticking and five minutes before midnight the countdown was made to make way for the opening of the curtain. Then, customers entered, passing through the toys and appliances stacked at the entrance until they reached the screens, the most in-demand item during this season.
“I take the opportunity to buy some of the gifts for my office party, especially the screens and with the refund in electronic wallet I also buy perfumes or smaller products, but I’ll come back another day for that,” said Alicia González, who carries four screens of different sizes in her cart.
The challenge for this El Fin Irresistible – and for this discount season in general – is to deal with the drop in consumption. The chains have suffered less dynamism in their sales during the year. Walmart. de México, which operates the Sam’s Club format, recorded consolidated revenue growth of 9.7% and 9.6% in the first and second quarters of the year, respectively. However, for the third quarter, the percentage was lower and stood at 7.7%.
In same store sales in Mexico, which considers units with more than a year in operation, revenue growth in the first quarter was 8.7%. By the third quarter this increase was reduced to 8%, according to data from the company financial report.
To turn it around, Sam’s Club works hand in hand with its suppliers to have an attractive offer that differentiates them from the competition, and that links with Walmart tools, such as Cashi, which offers a 10% coupon on purchases, from the usual 2%, plus refunds on interest-free monthly payments.
Ivonne Montiel, the vice president of Sam’s Club, comments that, given this panorama, what they expect is a balance of sales between all the categories they manage, from clothing to technology, in addition to a boost in sales for individual and business buyers. , such as hotels, restaurants and cafes, which they take advantage of to buy gifts for the inns or feed their inventories of perishables. “It’s the best time to do Christmas shopping,” she mentions.
González was in the checkout line with a dozen people who were also waiting at 12:20 am to pay for their screens and appliances. “We came for a refrigerator that we had already seen and we also brought the air fryer, which is also cheap,” said Silvia Dueñas, another customer.
Sam’s managers were already expecting this demand for products and have managed to supply their inventories for the dynamics they expect to register until November 21, when the sales season comes to an end. Edmundo Delgado, the vice president of purchasing at Sam’s Club, comments that the chain’s customers are looking to renew their technology, so state-of-the-art screens, cell phones and video games will be available on the sales floor.
In addition, the large format store will also bet on discounts in categories such as clothing, appliances, wines and spirits, perishables, even Christmas decorations. And, at least tonight, the strategy worked because there were those who carried toilet paper, cold meats and fresh food in their cart, although there were significantly fewer people than those who carried electronics.
20 minutes after the doors open, customers do not stop entering the Sam’s University Headquarters. Brand salespeople and collaborators make a fuss every time someone picks up a screen to buy it. In the rest of the hallways, the areas where the computer and cell phone equipment are located look cluttered.