New Sam's concept store opening on Lower Greenville

DALLAS - A new type of store from an old retailer will soon open in North Texas. There will be no lines, no cashiers and no cash needed to check out at the Sam’s Club Now store in Dallas.

Consumer reporter Steve Noviello got a preview of concept store that’s set to open where the old Walmart grocery store used to be on Lower Greenville. There will be nothing old about it.

The store will feature a mobile-first shopping experience powered by the Sam’s Club Now app. Shoppers will be able to use their smartphone to map the store, find items, get product information and check items off on a list.

The app can help shoppers find the best route to take for the most efficient visit and even has augmented reality to bring items to life with additional details.

When shoppers are done, their phone gets scanned and that’s it. There’s no need to check out. Shoppers can even skip the store altogether if they want with one-hour curbside pickup also through the Sam’s Club Now app.

The store will still have human associates. They will be rebranded as member hosts to serve as a “technology concierge” during the trip.

The store’s size will also be a change. At just 32,000 square feet, it’s a quarter of the size of the average Sam’s, making it a more manageable space to test new ways to shop.

Everything about the store is meant to incubate, test and refine new shopping technologies. It’s like a test lab designed to help determine the future of retail. It’s the only one of its kind.

There’s no word yet on a date for the grand opening but the folks at Sam’s Club expect to announce more in about a week.