Sam's Club, the membership-only warehouse retailer under Walmart, will officially open its first Qingdao store on May 15. Situated in the Shibei district, the two-story shopping space covers about 20,000 square meters and offers over 1,000 underground parking spaces.

To the excitement of local consumers, the instant delivery cloud warehouses in Shibei and Laoshan districts started operating on March 16, more than two months ahead of the physical store's opening.

Sam's Club currently has over 10.7 million paid members in China, with an average spending of about 13,000 yuan ($1,914.13) per member in 2025. The premium membership renewal rate is 92 percent.

Qingdao's pursuit of Sam's Club spanned more than a decade. After previous negotiations fell through, the project was finally signed in May 2024 and reached completion in a record 11 months, marking a new speed for large commercial projects in the city.

The store's location in the Huanle Binhai City area, once considered less central, is now supported by improving transport links, including the cross-sea bridge, Metro Line 5, and a second undersea tunnel. It will serve not only downtown Qingdao but also nearby cities like Weifang.

Beyond boosting retail sales — six cloud warehouses are expected to generate over 2 billion yuan online annually — Sam's Club will help reshape Qingdao's commercial landscape. High-end retail has traditionally been concentrated near Xianggang Middle Road. The new Sam's store will establish a "tripod" pattern with Hisense Plaza and MixCity, spreading commercial activity across the city. Moreover, Qingdao plans to build a Sam's cross-border trade hub, making the city a northern distribution center for imported goods.

Sam's Club's arrival is expected to spur local retail upgrades and advance Qingdao's goal of becoming an international consumption hub.

Sam's Club is expected to open to the public on May 15. [Photo by Xing Zhifeng/Guanhai News]