What Are The Differences Between Sam’s Club and Costco?

Sam’s Club and Costco are both retailers that generally save us money by buying in bulk. But what are the differences between them? Read on to find out.

Locations

There are 574 Costco locations in the United States as of May 30, 2022. The state with the most number of Costco locations in the US is California, with 132 locations, which is 22% of all Costco locations in America.

The state with the most number of Sam’s Club locations in the US is Texas, with 82 locations, which is 13% of the almost 600 locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Inventory

Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand is very popular and takes the place of name brand items. Some shoppers even prefer Kirkland Signature products. Costco does carry name brand items as well.

Sam’s Club carries a wider selection of name brand items, and they tend to be priced a little cheaper than the same brands at Costco.

Food Court

Both chains have a food court, where you can enjoy tasty food at a great deal. Sam’s Club, however seems to rotate their menu options much more often that Costco. For instance, diners can enjoy a wider selection of fountain drinks at Sam’s Club vs. Costco.

Curbside Pickup

While Sam’s Club offers curbside pickup to Plus Members at all of it’s stores (as early as 7 am!), Costco only has this feature at a select few. They rolled out the option to a limited test market, and then decided not to offer it to other locations. If you are set on picking your items up curbside, Sam’s Club is the way to go.

Self-Checkout

Both Costco, and Sam’s Club offer self-checkout options, but Sam’s Club also offers a Scan and Go option to Plus Members. You simply scan your purchases as you shop, and then pay at the Scan and Go register when you are finished. This feature may take longer while you are shopping, but will expedite checkout – especially when the club is busy. It really comes down to personal preference.

Rewards Programs and Gas Savings

Both chains offer extra benefits to shoppers when you purchase an Executive Membership (Costco) or Plus Program (Sam’s Club). Costco offers 2% rewards to it’s executive members, that are paid out at the end of the year. Sam’s Club also offers rewards of 2% to it’s Plus members, but these rewards can be cashed out on a monthly basis.

Costco offers extra rewards when using their Costco Anywhere Visa, where you can score 4% back on gas, and 3% back on restaurants.

Both Sam’s Club and Costco offer member only pricing on fuel. This can be substantially lower than other stations, making a membership beneficial for this perk alone!

Check out membership offers at Sam’s Club

Check out membership offers at Costco

Extra Benefits

While Costco offers most benefits to all of it’s members, Sam’s Club reserves several benefits to Plus Members, including curbside pickup, Scan and Go, and extra optical and pharmacy discounts.

Wages and Benefits for Employees

When comparing wages at Costco and Sam’s Club, Costco wins hands down. The starting hourly wage at Costco is up to 50% higher than the starting hourly wage at Sam’s Club. Costco also offers pay increases more often than Sam’s Club, and has a higher cap on hourly wage. Workers also report a more comfortable working environment at Costco.

In conclusion, there are several differences between Sam’s Club and Costco. Shoppers have to weight the pros and cons of each store, and decide which ones are more important to them.

Check out membership offers at Sam’s Club

Check out membership offers at Costco

Thanks eatthisnews.com

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