There has been a constant rivalry between Costco and Sam’s Club. Costco is the common one that people claim is the “best”, but is it actually? Let’s compare some key things.
Cost of Membership
Costco’s standard membership is $65 annually, and their premium membership is $130. Sam’s Club’s standard is more affordable at only $50 annually, and their premium is only $110. But, although Sam’s is more affordable off the bat, Costco’s premium membership does offer more benefits. Overall, especially for standard, Sam’s is more affordable for a membership and has cheaper products than in Costco.
Affordability and Quality of Products
Costco is known for their brand Kirkland, and Sam’s is known for their brand Member’s Mark. Costco mainly sells their brand, which is good quality, while Sam’s offers much more on brand items. Personally, I think Sam’s Club is more worthwhile if you would like brand products but for cheaper. Both Costco and Sam’s home brands are great quality and affordable. As someone who has a membership to both stores, I was honestly surprised at Costco’s prices. After having been at Sam’s, I was taken aback by how high Costco’s were in comparison. You’re generally paying more and getting the home brand products, but at Sam’s you’re generally paying less for on brand products. I dunno…sounds better to me! (Disclaimer: I am an insane cheapskate). Overall, it comes down to what you want personally; it’s hard to say whether one is better than the other.
Food Court
Yet again, it’s honestly personal preference. Sam’s has less “unique” food options (generally limited to pizza, hot dogs, soft pretzels, and types of ice cream), but is cheaper and on the same level as Costco’s similar items. Costco does have a wider variety of food options like salads, sandwiches, chicken bakes, cookies, pizza, and hot dogs, etc. Although it’s more unique, it is also more expensive. Even the hot dog combo is more expensive than Sam’s, and trust, they are exactly the same. I think the biggest let down after getting a Costco membership was finding out they don’t sell soft pretzels. I LOVE soft pretzels. So, if you love them too, it should be a no brainer. Sam’s even has salted, cinnamon, and pizza pretzels.
Onto the second part of the food courts: the ordering. Costco now does kiosk ordering, which does reduce lines better than a person having to take each order separately. Sam’s Club isn’t only limited to waiting in line, though. My mom and I have the app for Sam’s, so we just place our order online while we’re still shopping so we can just go up and skip the line to grab our food. Honestly, it’s so convenient! I will say that on average, at the Sam’s location nearest to us, their food court is understaffed. Sometimes that does lead to a lower quality of food, but most of the time my food is still delicious and greasy and very American. Costco, on the other hand, seems to have a sufficient amount of people working to constantly be delivering fresh food. It’s too hard to choose an actual winner, because both have different good things.
Checking Out
Costco is still pretty old fashioned with their cashiers and self-checkouts. It works, but it could be better. At Sam’s Club, you can use Scan & Go on your app to scan your items as you shop. When you are finished, you just pay on your phone and an employee will just quickly check your cart on your way out (You also pass under a scanner). And actually, Sam’s Club has recently announced that they will be changing all of their stores to work digitally in the upcoming years. It’s a much more efficient system than Costco’s, and this might just win a few more people over to Sam’s Club’s side.
All in all, you just have to make the decision that’s best for you. Both stores are pretty good and have good products. But, sadly, only one has soft pretzels (Sam’s Club for life!). Honestly, if you’re one of those people that owns one membership and shames people for having the other, just get over it! Both are really good! These warehouse stores are great for families looking to save money for groceries and products. They’re both more affordable than just normal stores. So choose which one sounds best!
