Walmart subsidiary Sam’s Club has hired Chris Curtin as its new CMO, filling a key leadership vacancy as the retailer ramps up digital engagement and expands its retail
media business.
Curtin, who most recently served as senior vice president at Bank of America, overseeing digital, social, and rewards marketing, succeeds Ciara Anfield, who stepped down last year. W. Joe DeMiero, vice president of marketing, had been serving in the role on an interim basis. Walmart confirms Curtin will oversee brand strategy, creative, channel activation, and social media, reporting to Diana Marshall, executive vice president and chief experience officer.
The appointment comes as Sam’s Club continues to post strong results. In its most recent quarter, comparable sales (excluding fuel) rose 6.7%, outpacing Walmart’s 4.5%. Net sales increased 2.9% to $22.1 billion, with gains in grocery, health and wellness, and general merchandise.
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Digital momentum is also accelerating. More than half of Sam’s Club members now transact digitally, helping drive a 27% increase in ecommerce sales and a 160% surge in delivery. Membership rose 9.6%.
Sam’s Club is also building out its Member Access Platform (MAP), its retail media business, with the launch of Omni-Impact—a new tool offering advertisers a 12-month, cross-channel view of member engagement.
“Advertisers can finally see exactly what’s driving incremental sales across MAP channels,” wrote Harvey Ma, vice president and general manager of MAP, in a blog post. “Aligning media performance with real sales outcomes helps brands unlock new growth opportunities and apply those insights to broader strategies.”
Retail media continues to be a bright spot for parent company Walmart, with ad sales up 31% in the U.S. and 50% overall, including gains from Vizio.