How Does Sam’s Club Compare to Costco?
Sams Club Vs Costco: Which one is better? Costco and Sam’s Club are big wholesale retailers with a variety of items. When taken together, making a judgment as to which one is more rational becomes challenging.
They have a variety of products at the same prices, retail outlets as well as online selling platforms.
Now it is high time to realize how these brands differ from each other and choose one of them.
Sams Club Vs Costco: Which One is Better?
Although they share similarities, there are several differences between the two:
1. Membership Fees
Costco and Sam’s Club provide different packages with diverse benefits attached to each package.
Costco provides various membership packages. The Gold Star has an annual fee of $60.
Executive membership costs $120 annually. This also covers other benefits like an extra 2% cash-back reward on Costco purchases worth up to $1,000 and Costco services discounts.
The Business membership costs $60 and the Business Executive $120, each offering equal benefits, including a 2% cash-back reward.
The normal Club membership price is $50 a year and gives access to their warehouse clubs and the opportunity to add more cards.
There is also the Plus membership costing $110 annually.
This one provides you with every advantage of the Club membership, and additionally, you get 2% cash back on some transactions not exceeding $500, free shipping, privileged access to the store, and pharmacy and optical services.
2. Prices
Overall, Sam’s Club seems to be cheaper for the items below.
Comparing some prices at Costco and Sam’s Club for some common items
| Item | Sam’s Club Price | Costco Price |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Milk (1 gallon) | $3.12 | $4.50 |
| Croissants (12-pack) | $5.98 | $7.45 |
| Organic Eggs (2 dozen) | $6.88 | $9.82 |
| Sharp Cheddar Cheese (2 lbs) | $7.98 | $8.45 |
| Frozen Three Berry Blend (4 lbs) | $14.68 | $18.65 |
| Mixed Bell Peppers (6-count) | $6.68 | $9.94 |
3. Benefits
Costco and Sam’s Club stores provide memberships with benefits, such as discounts and credit cards, while each has its products and services.
Costco membership gives you a wide variety of products and services. It has gas, pharmacies, car rentals, and eye care all at discounted rates.
If you are a business customer, there are additional services like payment processing and health insurance that you can enjoy,
Costco has a credit card that provides cash back on gas, restaurants, and travel. They have many products from the Kirkland range, which is usually cheaper but of better quality.
A Sam’s Club membership allows you to purchase quality products at reasonable prices.
Discounts on eyeglasses, fuel, and travel are included in more advanced tiers of membership. Sam’s Club has its credit card as well, which provides cashback on fuel and dining.
Like Costco, Sam’s Club offers a combination of brand-name products and its brand.
4. Product Availability
Warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club carry fewer products compared to regular grocery stores.
Sam’s Club does not specify the exact figure but confirmed that is less than a regular grocery store.
Costco and Sam’s Club provide similar products such as TVs, cleaning supplies, snacks, and medicines.
Yet, groceries vary. Although Sam’s Club provides a wide range of pre-packaged snacks and drinks, Costco offers more diversity when it comes to gourmet cheeses, deli products as well as dips.
As for brands, Costco offers more upscale ones than Sam’s Club. If you are a big fan of small brands, or niche ones, or prefer to buy organic products– Costco is the better option.
Organic products are widely represented in Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand. Although Sam’s Club is striving to come up with more organic and sustainable options, Costco reigns as the obvious choice at present.
5. Employee Pay and Benefits
The employee pay and benefits for both brands include:
Most of the Costco employees feel that they are justifiably paid. Although roles such as Inventory Control Specialists, Facility Coordinators, and Assistant Buyers may have different hourly rates or yearly salaries.
Costco offers a wide range of benefits for its employees, including health care, dental and vision programs, paid leave for bonding, reimbursement accounts, disability coverage, life insurance, and various well-being programs.
Also, employees enjoy paid sick and vacation time, eight paid holidays, and one paid floating holiday.
A little over half of the employees at Sam’s Club are satisfied with their salaries.
Reported hourly wages range from $16.88 for positions like Food Service Associates to $110,595 per year for Senior Software Engineers.
This includes roles such as Stocking Associates, Merchandisers, Supervisors, and Club Managers, each with its corresponding pay scale.
Sam’s Club offers a robust benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, maternity and parental leave, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off.
Employees also receive various insurance options and access to the Live Better U educational program for personal development.
6. Locations
Costco has 838 stores around the world, with the majority (578) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. They’ve been opening new stores, especially in California, Texas, Washington, and Florida.
Costco is not in every state, though; Maine, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming don’t have Costco stores. Costco also has stores in other countries like Canada, Mexico, Korea, Japan, and China.
On the other hand, Sam’s Club has 600 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Unlike Costco, Sam’s Club isn’t rapidly opening new stores; it has kept its number relatively stable.
The most Sam’s Club stores are in Texas, followed by Florida and California. However, you won’t find Sam’s Club in Alaska, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
7. Payment Methods
Both stores accept various payment methods, but there could be differences depending on where and how you’re making a purchase.
At Costco, you can pay with Visa cards, cash, member checks, traveler’s checks, certain debit cards, mobile payment options (like Apple Pay), EBT, and Costco Shop Cards.
If you’re paying by check, you’ll need a valid government ID. Online and at certain Costco locations, payment options may be more limited.
At Sam’s Club, you can pay with Sam’s Cash, Sam’s Club and Walmart credit cards, cash, checks, debit cards, American Express, MasterCard, Discover, Visa credit cards, Walmart credit, SNAP/EBT, and prepaid credit cards.
However, there might be some restrictions when making payments online at Samsclub.com.
8. Item Diversity
Costco says they have around 4,000 different items in their stores. It might seem low for their big warehouses, but they prefer having fewer things to focus on giving you better quality.
On the other hand, Sam’s Club hasn’t told us exactly how many items they have, but it’s obvious they have more than Costco.
People think it’s somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 different things at Sam’s Club.
9. Operational Hours
On weekdays, Costco grants everyone an additional thirty minutes of shopping.
However, Sam’s Club is open longer on Saturdays for everyone and members have early access to the shop.
Hence, it would be all up to the day and where you are a member that you will get some extra time for your shopping.
Can My Costco Card Be Used at Sam’s Club?
No, you can’t use your Costco card at Sam’s Club, and vice versa. Each store has its membership, so you need the right card for each.
Back in 2016, there was a special offer allowing Costco members to shop at Sam’s Club, but that’s not happening anymore.
So, you’ll need the correct membership for the store you want to shop at.
Comparing Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’
It is believed that Costco and Sam’s Club have more benefits than BJ’s. They offer a broad array of products and services, as well as the benefits that are associated with membership.
But BJ’s can serve as an ideal middle ground for most people.
It may not be as good as Costco or Sam’s Club, but it still means that you can buy food in bulk and have enough space to live your life.
Both these warehouses and retailers have their benefits and this is all about your choice.
Whether you value saving or prefer well-made goods, these mass retailers have something special to offer.
Your choice among them, however, is dictated by whether you put more emphasis on saving money or having a good shopping experience.
