Walmart Inc. WMT is strengthening Sam’s Club as a digitally enabled membership business, with convenience, fulfillment speed and omnichannel engagement becoming more important parts of the club model. The latest quarter shows that e-commerce is playing a larger role in Sam’s Club’s performance while supporting broader member engagement.
Sam’s Club’s e-commerce sales increased 23% in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, driven by continued strength in club-fulfilled pickup and delivery. Digital sales contributed roughly 400 basis points to comparable sales growth, up from about 350 basis points in the year-ago quarter. Comparable sales, excluding fuel, rose 3.9%, supported by higher transactions and unit volumes, with transactions up 6.2%.
Fulfillment remains central to the momentum. Club-fulfilled delivery sales grew more than 90% in the quarter, and e-commerce reached an all-time high share of Sam’s Club’s sales mix. Walmart also launched Dynamic Express Delivery, allowing members to receive club items in less than an hour.
Membership trends add support. Membership and other income grew 11%, reflecting a 5.6% increase in membership fee revenues, driven by steady growth in member counts, renewal rates and Plus members.
Overall, Sam’s Club’s e-commerce momentum appears supported by stronger fulfillment capabilities, rising digital penetration and a healthier membership base. Walmart is making online shopping a more integrated part of the Sam’s Club member experience, giving the business a clearer foundation to sustain digital growth over time.
What Do the Latest Metrics Say About Walmart?
Walmart, which competes with Costco Wholesale Corporation COST and Target Corporation TGT, has seen its shares rally 12.6% over the past year compared with the industry’s 10.5% growth. Shares of Costco have dipped 4.1%, while Target has gained 28.2% in the aforementioned period.
From a valuation standpoint, Walmart's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 36.64, higher than the industry’s 33.4. The company is trading at a premium to Target (with a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 15.18) while trading at a discount to Costco (43).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Walmart’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 5.2% and 9.5%, respectively.
Walmart currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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