Is Costco and/or Sams Worth the Fee?

The Giant Noodle said:

whats the difference between costco and Sams? It looks like they carry the same stuff.

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:shrug: I've never seen a costco - dunno.

I'm sure it's like the difference between Kmart and Walmart, though - overall, the same concept - but slight differences in various things make it function differently.

Hoplite said:

I've been in several Sams and all of them were more expensive than Costco (and sometimes than a regular grocery store) and didnt really carry anything in bulk. For example, they would have five pound bags of rice, except at Costco you can get (and I do) 20lb bags of rice and for only a few bucks more than the five pound at Sams.

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Well that is tell-tale isnt it? It seems Costco is slapping Sams quite a bit on all levels here. :shock:

If you have enough room in your home to buy in bulk and store? It is probably worth it.

As for the difference? If you are one of those that hate Wal-Mart? Well stay clear of Sams as that IS Wal-Mart

The Giant Noodle said:

whats the difference between costco and Sams? It looks like they carry the same stuff.

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They are the same business model but on completely different levels in terms of success. Costco's Kirkland Signature house-brand is rated one of the top brands in multiple categories. Sams Clubs Member's Mark? Not so much. Due to this Costco has earned the reputation for carrying high quality branded products at a savings. Sam's club on the other hand has the sterotype of being lower quality for not living up to Costco's reputation and being linked to WalMart.

Aunt Spiker said:

:shrug: I've never seen a costco - dunno.

I'm sure it's like the difference between Kmart and Walmart, though - overall, the same concept - but slight differences in various things make it function differently.

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I did a brand study years ago and in one of my consumer report sources the user preception of brand quality was K-Mart, WalMart, and then Target. Target being preceived the highest quality. Essentially they are all the same thing. The only differnece is a few higher quality brands being carried at the higher quality store vs the lowers, and the presentation of the store when you visit. Targets are cleaner, less cluttered, have nicer staff and more socially acceptable staff as well as patrons. I also found that Wal-Mart is cheaper then Target but product is closer to their expiration date. You also have a larger option of name brand clothing at Target.

Gibberish said:

They are the same business model but on completely different levels in terms of success. Costco's Kirkland Signature house-brand is rated one of the top brands in multiple categories. Sams Clubs Member's Mark? Not so much. Due to this Costco has earned the reputation for carrying high quality branded products at a savings. Sam's club on the other hand has the sterotype of being lower quality for not living up to Costco's reputation and being linked to WalMart.

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Beyond those benefits, I believe Costco treats their employees much better than the Walton enterprise.

I was a member of Sam's club for a few years. I thought they were good for buying stuff at Christmas and other holidays but in general they weren't that much use to me. Even though they are part of Wal Mart, the customer service is much better. At Wal Mart I usually have to stand in line for an hour at checkup because they keep 2 registers open. Sam's Club on the other hand has about 5 or 6 so checkup was much faster for me.

The Giant Noodle said:

thats disgusting!!!!

What about Walmart? Their stuff is priced about the same as Sams

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I have heard that for some name brand products, the ones sold at Walmart are of lower quality. This was the way that some producers of products had chosen to deal with the pressure from Walmart to sell at ever lower prices.

Dezaad said:

I have heard that for some name brand products, the ones sold at Walmart are of lower quality. This was the way that some producers of products had chosen to deal with the pressure from Walmart to sell at ever lower prices.

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They also may get items closer to their expiration date. In terms of food, Henry's Farmers Market is the same way. Henry's produce (vegetables/fruit) has a shorter life span then say Albertsons and Vons.

I just recently got a Costco card and I love shopping at that place. Mostly I buy stuff I need for work, mostly water and Gatorade in bulk and at lower prices. I buy about 7 packages of water in a week and it'll last me a month.

It's also important to know how Costco works. They buy in bulk and only at sale prices. If a producer doesn't give them a good price, they won't sell that product.

So what this means is that there's many brands that Costco doesn't carry and their selection is limited. For example, I like Juicy Juice and I like a variety - however, the Costco I go to only sells a two 96-oz. bottle package of Juicy Juice in the Punch flavor - they don't sell apple juice or grape juice flavors of Juicy Juice. So if I want to buy grape juice I have to buy it from a different manufacturer at Costco or buy a smaller bottle from a local grocery store.

Also, Costco isn't necessarily used by personal households. Many small businesses shop at Costco for things like office supplies and bulk items like coffee, creamer, and the like for the break room. Small businesses can use Costco to get a good amount of savings for bulk items they consume quickly.

So depending on how much you need to shop the money can be worth it. I know I've already saved more than my membership fee shopping there.