Which do you prefer? I think Costco has a lot more to offer in terms of products. But I have never compared the prices . I have never been to Sam's Club but it is owned by Walmart. Are the groceries cheaper at Sam's ? I think Costco has the cheapest membership but I have to look into that because Costco is the only store I am a member at. Always curious about the other two though.
I am sorry to say I do not have an answer for you, I do not shop at the large stores. My daughter does she has a BJ's account, which she really likes, she says she saves alot of money by getting the snack items in the larger sizes that are not available in the neighborhood stores. I have gone into one of the membership stores to see what is available to the members.
As I live by myself and I have no children, I don't have a habit of buying at warehouse stores. I only go to those once or twice if I have a party or if I'm with someone else from my family. From my experience, however, I do prefer Sam's Club than the other ones. It seems slightly more organized to me. I think the prices at Costco might be better, but Sam's Club is more comfortable.
I buy toiletries in bulk because I hate going out for toilet paper or soap every week . So I buy 2-3 months worth of it and stash it. Also household cleaning items like Comet, Pinesol. Same reason . Don't want to make trips to the super market for that stuff. Just groceries. And you save money when you buy in bulk. Regardless what store it is.
Costco is undoubtedly far superior to both Sam's Club and BJs. Sam's Club doesn't offer the same selection or level of service as Costco. A SC location is basically a larger Walmart store trying to copy Costco. BJs is probably better than Sam's, but it doesn't compare favorably to the customer service, selection, prices, and other membership benefits of Costco.
I have shopped and have memberships at both Sam's and Costco. If I'm in a rush, I will go to Sam's. However, I prefer going to Costco. I feel that Costco is more organized and neater. It is a little more expensive than Sam's. But, I'm willing to pay for the quality. The clientele is also very different. I feel like Sam's is a little more casual and Costco is more upscale. Costco also has better customer service. I had purchased a chair from them and when I came home, I noticed it had a rip. I took it back to Costco and they exchanged it for me right then and there without my receipt. When I had a similar experience at Sam's, the outcome was completely different. I had purchased a shirt for my husband and I got the wrong size for him. I took the shirt and receipt back to the store and they gave me the third degree. So in my personal opinion, I would rather shop at Costco. They may be a little pricier but overall they are a much better store.
Without a doubt Costco has always been King to me in this department. It says a lot when at times I will choose to pay more for a product simply because of Costco's amazing return policy and customer service. Sadly, they fall victim to people exploiting the system in place, but in general they back everything they sell and in that sense, I can always purchase with confidence from them. Grabbed a Miele vacuum from Costco recently and with the 6 year manufacturers warranty + Costco return, I don't have a worry in the world.
I don't have memberships to any of these stores and growing up we didn't either, but almost all of my coworkers do and they all have an opinion about which is superior. From what I have been told the selection at Sam's Club pales in comparison to the other two but makes up for it with significantly lower prices. Costco and BJ's are both pretty good but BJ's tends to edge out Costco from what I hear because their selection pretty much includes everything.
From experience, Costco is the moral choice (the company pays workers correctly, the CEO doesn't take a huge salary, etc...) but the service and selection of Sam's Club is vastly superior for someone in the restaurant industry. They have a significant department in each store for catering and cleaning supplies that BJ's or Costco can't touch---I'd say Costco is great if you want giant tubs of cheese puffs, but if you make your own roast beef in house at a deli, you need that top round from Sam's Club a 2.50 a pound, which is literally the best price you can possibly get, even from foodservice warehouse distributors.
I really think that Cosco is the best choice. I always chose them over anything else, I really recommend them.
Like others have stated, Costco is the nicest company in terms of how they treat their employees. As for the best store itself? I made my selection on how far it is to drive and whether they actually had the products I buy in stock. I will not change my shopping habits just because item X is not available in story Y so now I gotta buy product Z. Most of these stores will give you a complimentary 30-day membership or let you walk around them without a problem if you state your intentions honestly once you reach the front of the store. I like BJ's Wholesale Club as it was nearby and had most of the stuff I buy in value-sized packages.
I haven't price compared too much recently, but in terms of products and how employees are treated and such, I definitely prefer Costco. No contest.
I would have to say I like Sam's Club the best out of the 3. Costco is a great store as well, but for us it's a 35 minute drive to the closest store. Buying frozen items is basically a no go I have shopped at BJ'S but I didn't like the way the store was actually set up. It's lay out was very confusing and I felt I was missing parts of the store and having to constantly back track. I have seen the best deals so far at Sam's Club and I love that they just put in self checkout! So much easier especially when you only have a few items to purchase. Hope this helps! Danyel
I live near all three of them, but I have not yet been in BJ's. Nobody I know has a membership there, and I just never got around to seeing if they would let me preview the place first before becoming a member. I have been into both Costco and Sams Club though quite often. I've had a Costco membership at various times, and my family members have had Sams Club memberships for years. Personally I find the layouts of both stores as well as the selections to be virtual carbon copies of each other. I think one of the big distinctions from what I could tell was that Costco also had their own brand of liquors too, which I don't believe Sams Club sells any liquor at all. Costco also has those awesome $5 rotisserie chickens which are way larger and cheaper than what you would get at your local grocery store. I believe both of them only accept cash, checks or debit cards - no credit cards, but it's been a while since I've been to either. Sam's might have an edge because I think it takes Discover too. Personally I would go with Costco. I detest how little Sams Club pays their employees, and Costco is living proof that other stores can pay their employees fair wages and still be highly successful and profitable. Costco is actually outperforming Wal-Mart/Sam's Club pretty significantly in recent years.
I have had memberships at both Costco and Sam's Club. Out of the two, I prefer Sam's Club (even though it is owned by Wal-Mart). I received a discount on my membership because I have a teaching certificate (I'm not entirely sure how that worked, but okay). Costco and Sam's Club are pretty comparable in terms of what things cost. I have friends who still have a Costco membership and things seem to cost the same compared to Sam's Club. I prefer Sam's Club because the layout makes more sense to me, it is easier to navigate, and they do not constantly move around their inventory. I can be in and out of Sam's Club in under 20 minutes, whereas with Costco I spent most of my time trying to find things.
