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Sam’s Club China Rolls Back App Imagery After Weibo Backlash

The retailer says the redesign has been in testing since late August with updates guided by member feedback.

Overview

  • Users complained the updated app looked like Alibaba-backed Hema, citing high-saturation photos, prepared-dish images on product pages, and Alipay tap-to-pay prompts, and the topic trended on Weibo.
  • Sam’s Club issued a statement reaffirming a members-first approach and pledged continued improvements to the app experience.
  • The company said product-list header images have been reverted to white-background real photos to better reflect actual goods.
  • IT Home noted the iOS app updated to version 5.0.130, while the App Store listing provided no detailed changelog.
  • Weibo discussions also referenced the October arrival of former Alibaba vice president Liu Peng at Walmart China to lead the Sam’s Club format.