Shoppers gather with shopping carts outside a Sam's Club store, Walmart's membership-based warehouse retail chain, in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, on June 7, 2026. Photo: VCG

China's market regulator recently summoned the senior management of Walmart (China) Investment Co, which operates Sam's Club stores in China, for an official regulatory talk regarding repeated food safety issues found in its stores and online platforms, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on Monday.

The regulator urged Sam's Club, the high-end membership outlet of US-based retail giant Walmart, to strictly comply with the Food Safety Law, as well as the Regulations on Supervision and Management of Food Safety Responsibilities of Chain Food Sales Enterprises and the Regulations on Supervision and Management of Food Safety Responsibilities of Online Food Sellers.

The company was told to strengthen its food safety awareness, rigorously fulfill its primary responsibility as a food operator, actively fulfill its corporate social responsibility, prevent food safety risks across the entire supply chain, and effectively safeguard public food safety.

In response to the regulatory talk, Sam's Club China issued a statement on Monday, saying: "We recently accepted guidance from the market regulator. We fully acknowledge, deeply reflect upon, and sincerely accept the issues and rectification requirements raised during the meeting. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern caused to our members.

"We have immediately established a special rectification task force led by senior management to carry out a comprehensive self-inspection and rectification across all channels and the entire supply chain. We will strictly comply with relevant laws and regulations, strengthen food safety and product quality controls, and uphold the bottom line of food safety while improving member experience," according to the statement, which was sent to the Global Times on Monday.

Sam's Club also said that it will regularly report its progress to the regulatory authorities and willingly accept public supervision. "We thank the regulator for its guidance and our members for their trust and support."

The action by the SAMR came after food safety issues at Sam's Club stores were exposed by media reports in recent months.

In December 2025, Sam's Club apologized after a customer in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, reported finding a live mouse in a box of mochi sold at a Sam's Club store, which drew wide attention on Chinese social media platforms.

The company then said that it attaches great importance to product safety and member experience, and that it immediately worked with a professional pest-control firm to conduct a full-chain inspection upon receiving the complaint. 

Walmart China now operates more than 50 Sam's Club outlets in China, according to statistics released by the company.

Global Times