Big-box warehouse shopping just got a little more dystopian.
Sam’s Club is rolling out a sweeping redesign of all 600 of its US stores, and here’s the big headline: Cashiers and receipt checkers? They’re being completely phased out. In their place will be a frictionless, AI-powered retail utopia where you scan your own stuff, pay on your phone, and stroll right out like you own the place.
The idea is to expand the chain’s “Scan & Go” system — which lets you scan items in the app as you shop, pay in-app, and skip the checkout line entirely — into a fully cashierless model that feels more like a futuristic airport lounge than a bulk shopping barn. No checkout lines, and no receipt checks at the exit. Just vibes, bulk paper towels, and computer vision. “Good? We should be working towards a world where machines do the work while we do the leisure,” one Redditor opined about Sam’s Club’s move here.
“The main problem,” adds another, “is people don’t want to check themselves out and a lot of people still use cash.”
According to the company, customers it describes as “digitally engaged” shop three times more often. At the same time, it’s hard not to read a retailer’s insistence on a more streamlined experience as you doing all the work now — “you,” referring to customers who’ve grown accustomed to doing more of the work of retail employees themselves over the years, like bagging and checking out.
Also, while Sam’s Club hasn’t said anything about lowering prices, once they no longer have to pay thousands of employees to run registers or check receipts, I’m sure they’ll pass the savings along to you. I mean, that’s always how these things always work… right? Maybe next they’ll let us drive the delivery trucks and restock the shelves, too. Call it Sam’s Club Pro Max — now with 100% more customer labor.
Until then, grab your app, practice your scanning technique, and enjoy the techno-dystopia. You’re not just a shopper anymore — you’re an unpaid checkout clerk in the brave new world of retail.
