这一届中产，忍不了山姆的“AI滤镜”

Core Viewpoint - The recent update of the Sam's Club app has sparked significant user backlash, revealing deeper issues related to user trust and experience rather than being a mere product update failure [3][21]. Group 1: User Experience Issues - The app update led to a perceived decline in product display accuracy, with AI-enhanced images that misrepresent actual products, causing user frustration [4][5][7]. - Users expressed dissatisfaction with the app's navigation and information retrieval, finding it cumbersome compared to previous versions, which undermined the app's core utility [11][12][14]. - The hiding of critical information, such as ingredient lists, has further fueled user distrust, especially given past controversies surrounding product transparency [15][16]. Group 2: Company Strategy and Performance - Sam's Club has experienced rapid growth in China, with revenue surpassing 100 billion yuan in 2024 and a year-on-year sales increase of 22.5% in Q1 2025, further rising to 30.1% in Q2 [19][20]. - The company has implemented a strategy focused on accelerated expansion and cost efficiency, which has led to a significant reduction in product development cycles [19][20]. - However, this shift towards standardization and efficiency has raised concerns about the quality of products and the loss of regional specialties, which were previously a key attraction for consumers [20][21]. Group 3: Trust and Brand Perception - The essence of Sam's Club's business model relies on a trust-based relationship with its members, who expect high-quality products and services in exchange for their membership fees [18][26]. - The recent app issues have highlighted a potential erosion of this trust, as users feel that the brand's commitment to quality is being compromised in favor of rapid growth [20][27]. - The long-term sustainability of Sam's Club's strategy will depend on whether it can restore the confidence of its members and maintain the trust that has been built over nearly 30 years [28][30].