Liu Minxia

    mllmx@msn.com

    FOR the first time since 1996, Sam’s Club, an American membership-only warehouse retail chain, has raised its membership fee in China.

    The price hike to 260 yuan (US$40) per year — a 110 yuan increase for both individual and business members — took effect April 28, the warehouse retailer said yesterday.

    The announcement of the price rise comes on the heels of a new Sam’s Club outlet opening in Zhuhai, the first built-to-suit Sam’s Club in the first mall developed by Walmart China. It is also the 13th Sam’s Club in China since Walmart entered the market 20 years ago.

    The first Sam’s Club in China was opened in Shenzhen’s Futian District in 1996. Shenzhen currently has two Sam’s Clubs, with the other in Longgang District. Walmart operates Sam’s Club and said in 2014 that Shenzhen would have a third Sam’s Club in probably two years.

    Annual sales of the Sam’s Club in Futian District have topped all the 800-odd Sam’s Clubs worldwide for eight years.

    “Sam’s Club is a very successful format for Walmart around the world. It’s also a major format that Walmart will be growing in China,” said Andrew Miles, senior vice president of Walmart China and chief operating officer of Sam’s China. “We are glad to see that China is making great progress on urbanization in recent years; the middle class is growing; disposable income is increasing; and our members trust and love the Sam’s brand. That makes us very confident in the accelerated development of Sam’s Club in China.”

    The membership model has been accepted by Chinese customers since Sam’s Club entered China 20 years ago, the retailer said. It now serves more than 1.6 million members. Sam’s membership renewal rate has remained at 70 percent in China, higher than the global average.

    Sam’s Club said it has invested nearly 50 million yuan upgrading all of its outlets in China over the past two years.