Sam's Club vs. Costco: Which is better?

Prices aren't the only factors to consider.

By Karen Datko Sep 30, 2009 1:26AM

Is Sam's Club cheaper than Costco? Ashley at Wide Open Wallet wanted to know, so she did a price comparison of 33 items.

The result? The items, in total, would have cost $399.47 at Sam's Club and $406.41 at Costco. About a dozen of the items were cheaper or the same price at Costco. Otherwise, Sam's Club ruled. She also notes that Sam's Club has a cheaper membership fee and a clearance section. (Her Costco does not.)

Regardless, she still prefers Costco. Here's why:

She loves the coupons that Costco mails out. Also, Costco is closer to home and, quite frankly, she doesn't like Wal-Mart, which owns Sam's Club. She adds, "And the longer I live, the less time I want to spend at Wal-Mart." Other bloggers say Costco has better selection, particularly for produce, meat and clothes.

Not everyone has the opportunity (we're among those folks) -- or storage space -- to benefit from warehouse clubs. But for those who do, Sam's Club vs. Costco is a popular topic. For instance:

Melissa at Food, Fires and Fitness offers a "Sam's Club vs. Costco showdown." (She's leaning toward Sam's Club.)
Peter at For Peter's Sake thinks Sam's Club is better. He cited lower membership and product prices, better signage and also made this observation about the snack bar: "Sam's Club has cheaper pizzas, and they have those delicious soft pretzels that I love so much. Costco has no pretzels, which makes me sad." He gave Costco points for the berry smoothie.
Grocery Mama is curious about what her readers think because she has a free one-day pass to Sam's Club from Allstate (.pdf file) that's good on March 31.

How does Costco compare with regular grocery stores? Ashley has also done a price comparison between Costco and Wal-Mart. She had lots of Costco coupons, and Costco won hands down. (Another post comparing Costco and three supermarkets, including a Wal-Mart, can be found at the Addicted to Costco! blog.)

What's important to you when you're selecting a warehouse membership store? Of these two biggies, which one is better?

Related reading:

Published March 16, 2009

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food pricesgroceriesKaren Datkosave moneysavings

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