Sam’s Club will cut all optical departments and optical will become third party only. National vision INC will be the vendor who takes over all optical centers.

Photo centers will not be put into any new club built, remaining clubs with photos centers will adapt to be mostly self serve only, reducing hours for now and eventually cutting all hours in photo.

Mobile/cell phone Department is being evaluated to also go full third party, If so, wireless associates will be allowed to sign up for open positions in the club.

Cost analysis and studies are being done to provide estimates on if it would be cost effective to run 3rd party pharmacies, it is also probable that Pharmacies will be ran by third party.

Membership managers will be given the option to sign up for the new grocery manager position that will be posted after the end of the year. Basically the entire marketing department will be eliminated: membership lead, coordinator and champ. Membership is another position where as much as possible will be outsourced 3rd party.

Asset Protection Manager will get a restructure to another title, which will be Experience Protection Manager; Positions are already currently being posted online for market and regional experience protection positions. This position will focus less on theft and compliance and more on operations. EPM will also fully take over the TEO Department. Home office will use cost lessening cheaper labor positions to do remote monitoring in clubs instead of AP monitoring cameras.

New changes to associate scheduling are coming. Associates will have more flexibility to choose which shifts they want to work and will no longer be forced to work shifts that they do not want.

Overnight stocking is going away for the format similar to Costco, (late shift, early shift stocking)

Remaining Jewelry leads will be eliminated as clubs transition to the new jewelry layout.

A high percentage of clubs will increase self-checkouts and drive higher scan and go execution with an end goal of reducing cashier positions and hours

PTC position will be mostly eliminated however there is talk of having a few PTC trainers similar to the Wal-Mart academy trainers. A lot of the personnel work will be outsourced to GSS.

Changes to the Tobacco area are coming, Tobacco may be eliminated in some or all clubs but for the clubs that remain, they will no longer be allowed to count tobacco on the sales portion of the goals for manager bonus and Sam’s share bonus.

Receiving is still up in the air, being discussed is removing fulltime associates, Receiving lead, office associates, etc. and only claims and 1 part time associate will remain in that area.

Studies are being done for productivity, more areas in the club, managers and associates will be tracked and held accountable for not being productive in their area.