Sam’s Club Expands with Local, Organic Groceries

In an effort to compete with rival Costco (Issaquah, Wash.) and attract wealthy customers, Sam’s Club (Bentonville, Ark.) plans to begin stocking more local and organic groceries. To that end, the company has begun hiring a team of regional U.S. buyers to acquire these kinds of sought-after items.

The company has already hired a handful of buyers in Dallas, reports Fortune, and may hire buyers for up to five other markets around the nation. Up until now, all of its buyers have worked out of the company’s Bentonville, Ark. headquarters. The buyers will be looking for regional products such as craft beer and unique salsas and may handle up to 30 percent of each store’s food items.

Sam’s Club’s efforts to attract more customers comes on the heels of a 0.5-percent drop in comparable-store sales, while Costco has continually experienced sales increases.