Sams and Costco both have employees that check your membership card right at the door. They also check it when you are checking out at the cash register as well as check your receipt when you leave the store. I never understood why they check your card at the door. If you don't have it at the register, they obviously won't let you get anything anyways. You are also allowed to look around at the store if you don't have a card, so why is it so important to show your card when you first walk in? Also, what happens if you happen to misplace your receipt between the csh register and the door? Are they really not going to let you leave with all of the stuff you just paid for?
I was reading an article a while back about why Wal-Mart had people at the doors greeting you when you came into and left their stores. The main reason was to deter theft. Granted the Wal-Mart greeters will sometimes ask to see your receipt if you are leaving with a large item, but supposedly the simple eye contact and greeting they make with everyone coming and going actually deters people from stealing stuff in general - or so they say. Maybe it's a psychological thing, or shoplifters might be hesitant to push their luck if they know the greeters there recognize them coming and going there regularly. It may also serve as a gentle reminder to the customer that they are on cameras and being watched. If it does in fact work, it's a rather cost effective way to deter stealing, considering what they're paying those employees on an hourly basis. The membership at the door thing is probably to deter non-members from coming there too often to price check stuff and what's known as "showrooming". Showrooming is basically when people visit stores to see the items they are interested in person, then go home and order them online for a better price. Target has been trying to fight showrooming as well, since it's negatively impacting their sales. One of the ways they are trying to combat it is to pressure manufacturers to develop exclusive versions of their products, such as a toaster or blender, which can only be found at Target and not elsewhere. I always thought you had to either get a temporary guest membership or go with someone who had a membership, to walk in those stores. I didn't know they let people in by themselves without a membership at all.
I would say that another reason why card checking may occur is the fact of one person buying a membership and then after lending the card to everybody, or "leasing" it for a small amount of money that results more convenient for the people using it this way, and for the cardholder, who recovers the membership investment this way, plus extra earnings. I know more than two people doing this with their cards in the past.
I think one reason they probably have greeters at the front door checking membership cards is a selling tactic. If your membership is about to expire, it could prompt you to go renew, while you're there and it's fresh on your mind. Also, if you've been using some sort of temporary membership, it could remind you that you need to sign up for a membership while you're there. I have spoken to the greeters at the door in the past, and learned about various membership benefits I was unaware of, so they do serve a purpose. I've often shopped at member clubs with friends and family, even though I didn't have a membership. If I felt it was worth it, I might sign up for my own membership. In the past, the company I worked for had a deal with Sam's, so employees got half-priced memberships, which is when I had mine. After I left the company and moved across the country, there weren't Sam's Clubs where I lived, so I let the membership lapse. If my finances were stronger, I might consider buying a membership again, since my friends don't have them.
they try to prevent the customers who either don't have a membership or the expired card for the 21st time. I had a friend who worked there and a lot of people would ring up then ask for a 1 day pass fool proof since they usually don,t want to put back the $100 sale. Of course there was the old return policy where you used to be able to return it any time you were unhappy with the product. I once saw a #year old couch with stains and holes get returned and the customer got most of the price back, no wonder the policies had to change.
It's certainly a good question. One that I've often wondered myself. As others have said, part of it is definitely to deter theft. It does make sense for them to check it though, so they can kind of make sure people have current cards, so they're not holding up lines when they go to make a purchase. From my experience they only check the cards as you are coming in periodically. A lot of times they don't even check them.
There are always people pushing the point which in the end makes it harder for the people that are not trying to get away with anything. At the Walmart I thought the checking out at the door was to insure large items had actually been paid for and not just walked out the front door.
I can verify that I've went into both stores without showing any form of card several times. Once I was stopped and told them I was going to the pharmacy and they let me through. I'm now a card carrying CostCo member, so I feel like this is just what they are trained to do. I think a more realistic answer is that CostCo has programs that give you cash back on your programs and they are able to take your demographics and find what you buy the most and market to that specific demographic more favorably.
