① Walmart Sam's Club China today announced a change in leadership; the new president previously served as general manager of Tmall Global and Alibaba. He holds positions such as Group Vice President and President of B2C Retail Business Group, possessing extensive experience in the retail and internet industries; ② Industry experts told reporters from Cailian Press that employing professional managers familiar with China and localizing operations are among the key reasons why Sam's Club has been able to achieve good performance.
Walmart China officially announced today that Sam's Club has changed its leadership, with the new president previously serving as vice president of Alibaba . Walmart China stated that this is another important step in Walmart's continued investment in China and the upgrading of its business strategy.
Walmart China announced today on its official Weibo account that Liu Peng has joined Walmart China as President of Sam's Club, reporting directly to Zhu Xiaojing, President and CEO of Walmart China, effective immediately. Jane Ewing, the acting President of Sam's Club, will return to Walmart International at the end of this year after completing her overseas assignment and acting duties.
Liu Peng's resume shows that he has extensive experience in China's retail and internet industries. He previously worked at Alibaba Group, where he served as General Manager of Tmall Global, President of Tmall Import and Export Business, Vice President of Alibaba Group and President of B2C Retail Business Group, and President of Taotian Group Brand Business Development Center.
Prior to joining Alibaba Group in 2015, Liu Peng held various leadership positions at Goodbaby China, Media Markt China, Suning Appliance, and Haier Group, with experience in procurement, marketing, and other areas. Liu Peng graduated from Nanjing University of Science and Technology with a bachelor's degree in International Trade and holds an EMBA from the University of International Business and Economics. He has also served as a director of the Consumer Global Forum (CGF) and several listed companies.
“We believe that with his international perspective, deep integration capabilities of the global supply chain, and extensive experience in Chinese retail and omnichannel, Liu Peng will be able to lead the Sam’s Club China team to achieve strategic upgrades, further solidify its core organizational capabilities centered on members, and drive digital transformation and technological innovation,” said Zhu Xiaojing, President and CEO of Walmart China.
"From a localization perspective, employing professional managers familiar with China and adapting the membership supermarket business model to local conditions are among the key reasons why Sam's Club has been able to achieve such good performance," Zhang Chenyong, author of "Instant Retail" and an expert in instant retail, told reporters from CLS.
According to Zhang Chenyong, Sam's Club's model in China has transcended the traditional warehouse club model. On the one hand, by leveraging its forward warehouses, Sam's Club has solved the problems of long distances and inconvenience associated with traditional stores, significantly increasing members' shopping frequency and spending. On the other hand, its "novel and unique" product strategy, combined with online product seeding, attracts a large customer base through differentiated positioning. This "store + forward warehouse" system better serves users, improves member repurchase and retention, and drives continuous sales growth.
Amidst intensifying competition in the current supermarket and retail industry, with some leading companies facing adjustments and contraction, Sam's Club continues to maintain a strong growth momentum. In August of this year, Walmart released its second-quarter results for fiscal year 2026, showing that Walmart China achieved net sales of $5.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30.1%; comparable sales increased by 21.5%; and Sam's Club achieved double-digit growth in transaction volume.
Walmart China reports that Sam's Club currently has nearly 60 stores in more than 30 cities, and about five more new stores are expected to open by the end of this year. Meanwhile, membership numbers are increasing, and renewal rates and activity levels are maintaining a steady upward trend. E-commerce business accounts for more than 50% of total revenue.
(Article source: CLS)
