Sam's Club Faces Member Backlash in China Over Product Changes
A recent controversy has been brewing in China surrounding Sam's Club, a membership-based warehouse club owned by Walmart. The phrase "山姆背叛了山姆," which translates to "Sam betrayed Sam," has been trending on social media platforms like Weibo, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction among Sam's Club members. At the heart of the issue is the perception that Sam's Club has compromised its standards by replacing popular and unique products with more common, mass-market brands.
17 July 2025
Members are upset over the removal of highly-rated items such as sun cakes, rice pudding, and low-sugar egg yolk crisps, which have been replaced by products like Orion Pies, Weilong Spicy Strips, and Liuliu Plum. These new additions are seen as a "self-lowering" of standards, as they can be easily purchased elsewhere, diminishing the exclusive and curated shopping experience that members associate with Sam's Club.
Many members feel betrayed, especially after paying significant annual fees for what they expected to be high-quality, exclusive, and differentiated products. The replacement of beloved items with generic brands is seen as a breach of trust. Some accuse Sam's Club of prioritizing cost-cutting and profit over member satisfaction, viewing the situation as the club "harvesting leeks," a Chinese idiom for exploiting or defrauding people, especially financially.
The incident has led to questioning of Sam's Club's brand integrity and its adherence to its founder's principles. Members are debating whether the value proposition of a Sam's Club membership remains, with some suggesting that the experience is becoming indistinguishable from a regular supermarket, despite the high membership fees. Sam's Club's customer service reportedly stated they were unsure of the reason for the removal of the lower-quality products, further fueling customer dissatisfaction.
The lack of transparency or a clear apology from Sam's Club has been contrasted with Walmart founder Sam Walton's emphasis on "sincere apologies" and transparency in his business principles. As a result, the incident has sparked a crisis of trust for Sam's Club in China, with members calling for accountability and a return to the high standards and unique products that they have come to expect from the brand. Ultimately, the "山姆背叛了山姆" controversy serves as a reminder of the importance of staying true to core values and prioritizing customer satisfaction in business.
