BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Getting the merchandise assortment right is important for any retailer, but it is particularly critical for Sam’s Club, which has to meet its members’ needs with a limited assortment.

Getting the merchandise assortment right is important for any retailer, but it is particularly critical for Sam’s Club, which has to meet its members’ needs with a limited assortment.

"Part of our job is to be curators for our members," says senior vice president and chief member officer Tracey Brown. "Being offered an assortment of merchandise that has already been vetted, in terms of offering high quality, is part of the value someone gets from being a Sam’s Club member."

That product offering of a few thousand SKUs (compared to more than 100,000 SKUs at a Walmart Supercenter) must serve the everyday needs of business members and consumer members, while also including the kind of great deals or unique merchandise that deliver a treasure hunt experience for members.