Taking Club Membership to the Racetrack – Harvey Ma, Sam's Club Connect

S3 E20 · Aug 4, 2026 · 41 min

Why paid membership creates deterministic purchase data, and how sampling became an advertising business.

Show notes

Sam’s Club Connect isn’t simply sponsoring an IndyCar. It is bringing club membership, exclusive access, product demonstrations, curated assortment and measurable commerce to the racetrack.

Harvey Ma, Vice President and General Manager of Sam’s Club Connect, joins Tom Limongello and Todd Sawicki to explain how the company is turning its Retail Experience Network into something members can experience inside the club, in the parking lot and at major sporting and entertainment events.

Recording note: This conversation was recorded on July 30, 2026.

What we cover

• Why a club retail media network operates differently from grocery, travel or drug retail media
• How Sam’s Club Connect fits alongside Walmart Connect US and Walmart Connect International
• Why paid membership creates deterministic, longitudinal purchase data
• How sampling and demonstrations became part of the advertising business
• Personalized Scan & Go ads delivered during the in-club shopping journey
• Scan & Sample, which connects product demonstrations to near-real-time ratings and reviews
• How one activation generated more than 1,000 reviews in a single shopping day
• Race to the Club and the evolution from parking-lot activations to the racetrack
• Turning event sponsorship into product discovery, member acquisition and measurable sales
• How advertising, membership, marketplace, VIZIO and data could work together as a broader commerce business