COSTCO vs. SAM'S CLUB: Which is BETTER?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- I LOVE Costco and Sam's Club for vastly different reasons and here are just a few! Do you prefer one to the other? I like both enough to keep my membership with each one.
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Timestamps
0:00 Hello!
0:10 PROS of BOTH Costco and Sam's Club
2:14 CONS of BOTH Costco and Sam's Club
2:44 PROS of COSTCO and what I Love about Costco
10:12 PROS for SAM'S CLUB and What I Love about Sam's Club
19:18 CONS for SAM'S CLUB
21:08 CONS for COSTCO
Some of my popular videos:
🔙 What I NEVER BUY and ALWAYS BUY at Sam's Club: • What I NEVER BUY and A...
🔙 12 Grocery Items I've Quit Buying at Costco and Why • 12 Grocery Items I've ...
🔙 All My Costco Videos: • Costco
🔙 My grocery shopping videos and tips: • Grocery Shopping
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I have both but Sam's Club has the one draw that Costco doesn't have... Scan and Go. Being able to scan as I put items in my cart then pay in the app and then head for the exit beats Costco by a mile. It makes it so I don't have to care how crowded the store is because I don't have to go to a register.
Agreed! Scan and Go is amazing.
I agree. 💙💙💙
Also hate the long lines at Costco, 14:59 over halfway thru the store. I have both memberships Sam's is my favorite.
Costco will have that soon !
@@lindamartin632 What do you consider "soon?" Sam's Club has had it since 2016. Costco is way behind the poser curve on this one.
Costco far superior to Sam's, but i do carry both memerships. I spend 4-5 times more at Costco... Costco better quality products overall and I do like and use the travel benefits. Sams advantages for me are the scan and go which I use every time and online is a bit better. Sams is a fill in trip for my family. But going to Costco is an event
I belong to Sams and my nextdoor neighbor belongs to Costco. I'm disabled so I added my neighbor to my Sams Club and she shops for me. We are both single so we will share/split items that make the larger quantities more practical. We also each have a small stand-alone freezer so we each have room to store extra quantities.
Your assessments of each club are right on.
There are 2 Costcos and 3 Sams Clubs in my metro area and they are all always busy!
Great video. Thanks!
Thank you for watching! I'm so glad you and your friend have a good system. The bulk prices are too good to pass up sometimes so sharing is so smart!
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A very important point is if you use curbside pickup you can save money. When you go into the store you are tempted to purchase things you don't need.
If you try to eat clean, Costco is definitely a great choice!
As a single person I wanted to see which would be better, thanks for the content! 💝
I definitely like Sam’s club over Costco because they have smaller portions. I love using Instacart at Sam’s Club. With my $50 membership the Instacart fee is usually free so I only pay the tip. I kind of live in the $2.99 Southwestern Salad bag (delicious) and the rotisserie chicken. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries are also excellent and very low priced.
@@pamelatify Thank you for your response! This is helpful so I will go with Sam's Club for my dietary needs 😃
@@pamelatify great feedback as I'm single and noticed some of the things I love, like berry's seems to be a good buy. I was looking at Sam's just a couple hours ago. Very tempted to take the plunge.
I love that salad mix, too!!
If I was a single person, I would probably pick Sam's simply for their convenience foods and smaller quantities!
I love how SC actually has color coordinared pricing making it easier to see what's on sale and not using some last digit code for us to know if things are on clearance etc...
Costco for sure. The meat is so much better. They have a better variety of organic products too. The price may be a little more but if you prepare and look at the ads they repeat often enough so you can utilize the savings
Agree 100%!
I agree. I wonder at Sam's and never find anything good. I never renewed. Costco is very busy but I try to go when I'm not rushed so I can take my time.
I would say one con: items are not always the best deal. For example, if I buy the 3 tubes of toothpaste. It will actually cost me more than if I buy three of the same size at my local Kroger. Just little things like that.
Love your comparison. I'm a Sam's club member my friend is a Costco member so I go with her and it's further away. One HUGE thing I love about Costco( this is crazy, I know) they have FREE air stations for your tires. I know it sounds silly but I haven't found a free air station at any local gas stations anywhere here in the Chicago area!
It's not crazy! Lol I'm in the suburbs of Detroit and every gas station air station you have to pay for and they usually dont work well at all! Its It's so frustrating and ridiculous
Oh wow! That would definitely be a small but meaningful perk for me, too if I didn't have free air most places near me haha.
I’m a Sams club girl. I have to mentally prepare to go to Costco, it’s always a madhouse. From the parking lot to shopping its crazy and the people are rude. I enjoy Sams for all the reasons you stated.
I LOVE using my Scan and Go, so much easier and faster!
Agreed!! I have read that Sam's is coming out with some technology this year that you'll be able to just walk out of the store and their AI will scan the items in your cart to match your receipt or something. Interesting!
They both have good products. Depends what one is looking for. I shop at both:).
You guys do a great job. Thanks for producing and sharing.
Our Sams Club is always busy!
You can freeze grated cheese
Fantastic information. Thank you!
So far I have resisted both Cosco and Sam's Club. I did visit a Sam's with a friend once (or twice) but it did not call to me. The prices at the next door Wallmart are a few cents more than a local discount grocery chain. I can't see paying a fee to shop at either one - Cosco or Sam's when for free I get a better deal at our local discount chain store.
I agree with all the pros and cons you mention. But, bottom line, if I could keep only one membership, I would keep Costco because of the quality of the items they carry. I never EVER buy pre made food at Sam's. I had regrets about every single pre made meal I ever bought there. I don't like their cakes either (except cup cakes to take to kids birthdays or whatever). The quality of their clothes is terrible also. On the other hand, their spices aisle is great and I also like their frozen vegetables, but not their "fresh" vegetables.
I agree with you 100%! I love both but if it came down to it, I'm a Costco girl through and through!
I bought some cinnamon rolls that looked so good at Sam's. We took one bite and threw them all away. They were nasty. I will never buy baked goods from them again.
@@53sheri I had the same experience a couple of times. Never again. Same thing with pre-made foods, I couldn't even eat them.
Great video, Thank you😊
You are great! Thank you for this very informative video! I am a member of both, but have never actually gone to other than Costco. Now I will!
Thanks for watching!!
You neglected to point out that costco doesnt take American Express anymore. Thats a big deal for me. Also, paying for gas with only the phone app is very handy. Not serving coke in the deli is also annoying.
I dislike the sample carts at Costco. They make the aisles more congested, and Costco is usually already packed with humanity.
I DO like that they check your membership at the door. Costco is already congested without non-members milling about, and I think it makes for a safer shopping experience.
Where Costco Wins:
1) Bakery. Their bakery is far better than Sam's Club, or just about any other grocery store out there.
2) Experience. Honestly, Costco just is a more enjoyable place to be.
3) Customer Service. How many of you have spoken with a Sam's club worker who clearly hated their job and would obvious rather be ANYWHERE else than where they currently are? Maybe that is just the Local Sams Clubs in my are. Also, getting through the exit lines take 3X as long
4) Costco Sales are more fun and are at a steeper discount. Both clubs have periodic sales, but the Costco sales offer much steeper discounts and are on a wide variety of items. Many of which I would not normally buy (because of the price), but because of the sale, they are in my price range and are a fun try. I am excited to see the new sales at Costco. I can't remember a sale at Sam's Club that made me change my mind about buying an item.
5) Food court food availability. At Costco, they are making fresh pizzas and other food items right up until closing. At Sams Club, they often stop baking as early as 3 hours before closing.
Where Sams Club wins:
1) Certain Staples including: Flour, dried beans, and rice. Those are some of the few items that are actually cheaper at Sams Club than at grocery stores.
I go to each store for different reasons. If I need Flour, dried beans or rice (and sometimes onions or certain types of shredded cheese as well), I go to Sams Club. If I need a cake, fresh mozzarella, parmesan cheese, specific bakery goods, or one of their fun items that are currently on a significant sale, then I go to Costco.
Thanks!
Wow, thank you so much!!!!! I appreciate you! - Lisa
Can't go back once you have Scan & Go..... Great video and fair assessment of pros and cons.
I wish scan and go was everywhere!
Don't know. I would never use. I don't get paid for working there.
@@53sherithe difference is 10-15 minutes in line versus no line. I end up at self checkout at Costco normally anyway, so it's a simple decision for me.
Major con for both stores:
They are expensive. For the vast majority of things I buy, Costco and Sams Club cost more than the local grocery stores.
I actually find the snack section at Costco far more interesting.
Sam's Club has long aisles of boring snacks that never go on decent sales and that I usually wouldn't buy even if they did. Costco on the other hand will occasionally have their sales on interesting treats and snacks that are hard to find elsewhere and those sales are often steep enough to justify trying something new and "fancy".
That being said, Everyone is looking for different things. That is why both stores can thrive like they do.
I have both memberships. Sam’s Club I can run in and out like a grocery store. Costco has to be a planned trek. This is mainly due to SC Scan and Go app. You can avoid the long lines. Unless you’re buying alcohol. I also love that SC labels their aisles. And that their sale items have yellow price cards. So if you’re looking down the freezer aisles you can spot the sale items from afar simply by having yellow cards.
Costco feels cleaner.
For me, best part of Sam’s club is they offer scan and go in their phone app, so I can scan items as I place them in my cart, slide to pay when I am finished shopping and walk out the door without any waiting to check out. That’s why I prefer Sam’s club, but like both clubs.
Same! I can get in and out of there in 5 minutes or less when I just need one or two things with scan and go! love that.
You are in Salt Lake City and have accessibility to both, but not all of us have that same availability to both. Our Sam's Club is only a "ghost town" in the plus hour before opening. Here it's always busy.
Right. It is definitely going to be unique to each location!
I have both also. Nice to have a choice. As far as Sam’s getting new things, rather than staying the same, the downside is if you really like something it may not be there next time. I like knowing I’ll find my fave things. I think all Sam’s and Costco are not standardized quite the same with some of the features you mentioned.
Fun fact. All Gasoline in an area comes from the same source. They come from the same production facility. The only difference is that each gas station company has its own formula of detergent they add to the gas.
In other words, Shell Gas does not necessarily come from Shell oil refineries. They come from the cheapest (and often nearest) refinery. If Shell is the cheapest option for the gas stations in you city, all gas stations will be selling gasoline produced at a Shell refinery. Exon Mobile, Circle K, and any other regional brand will all be selling Shell gasoline. They will just add in their own detergent.
As a Canadian I only have access to Costco. In fact I had heard of Sam’s Club but had no idea it was discount Costco.
Note: I just googled it and apparently there were only 6 Sam’s Clubs in Canada (all in Ontario) and the market was so poor due to Costco that they had to abandon the Canadian market. Explains how this Maritimer had no idea what Sam’s Club even is 😂
Interesting how your Costco hours are different from ours. Ours is open at 9 am for members. Our business Costco does not sell clothing. And has lots of variety of snacks and drink options. We don’t have a Sam’s club near us anymore. But when we had it I agree they had lots more variety. I use to buy my canned goods there. One thing I like about Costco is their travel discounts. I always rent my car thru Costco.
I've never booked travel through Costco but have heard you can get good deals on premium options. I've tried a couple of times but have found cheaper deals when I mix and match my own travel plans. And I wish our costco opened at 9!!!
The bottom line is you have to try harder to sell Sam's Club. My closest Costco is 100 miles My closest Sam's is 40. I still prefer Costco.
I can tell you've never tried sams club.. they offer way better benefits, and recently added Scan&GO, and offer free delivery online unlike costco..
Plus, samsclub has a really good app ... Costco just has an online website 😂.. poor things
My closest Costco is about 45 minutes away, but last August they were having a membership special. The membership was $60 but you got a $45 store credit so I I decided to give them a try.
I love that they have so many organic products. That’s worth the membership to me. You are right, their website and app are worthless. The worst!
Sam’s, on the other had, has a fantastic app and I love love love scan and go.
I will most likely keep both memberships.
Great video, btw! Spot on information.
Wow, thank you so much for watching! And where do you live? In my 12 years as a personal costco member (and having a mom who was a member almost my entire childhood) I have never seen them run membership specials in Utah!
@@Lisa.Childs I live in Florida. I saw the deal on Krazy Coupon Lady.
I don’t have to show my card when entering Costco. They just ask if I have one and I say yes. Also milk is by the gallon here in SW Mo.
Also, the app sucks.
Interesting how different it is by region!!
The milk at my store in MI is also by the gallon.
I have both memberships.
My Costco has individual gallons of milk. We don’t have the boxes. I would like to check out my local Sam’s Club just to see what they have. I wish Costco had the Scan and Go feature. That would make it perfect!!!!
Sams also has a friends and family day or 1 day temp free membership
I LOVE my Sam's Club. The variety has me hooked, and the scan and go solidified the deal. I use my Sam's cash to pay for my membership and the other perks are awesome. It all depends on your personal preferences/needs but for me Sam's is my clear winner. Happy shopping all!
We have both cards also and find different things at both our dog eats the Fresh Pet refrigerated food from Costco. But we love that you can get fresh quality Sushi at Sam's and also can order a custom cake online at Sam's. Costco still makes you go in at least 1 day before you need to handwrite a cake order form and come back the day you need it. My con for both is limit how many people are shopping on one card it is not unusual to see 12 people with 2 or 3 carts on the same card in my area at both stores.
Wow, interesting observation!
Our costco JUST started carrying Fresh Pet and I think I'm going to try it soon. We don't have good sushi at our sam's :(
And in small print at my Sam's a notice we're charged a fee to use the pump.
Really!? Where are you located?
We live in Iowa and we have to show our membership card at Sam's.
Weird..all the Sam's here in NE Ohio make you show your membership at the door. And the milk at our costco isn't a 2-pack box, it's sold by the gallon. Also if we go during the week, our Costco is dead, nobody around, never packed in the evenings. The regional changes are strange.
How interesting!!
Sam's also has Keto Ice Cream Bars. Costco does not. Oh and the Blueberry Lemon Cheese Cake is phenomenal
Costco does carry keto ice cream bars!
@@user-fr2ry5eo1s we looked and couldn’t find any.
Thanks, now I may take advantage of the discounted Sam's Club membership.
Have fun!
The ice cream and pizza alone make me prefer Costco 😂
I'm noticing there are differences between what you're saying and my own experience. For instance, they check for membership IDs at the local Sam's club here in South Florida. Also, we can scan our own items including with the use of the gun, though there is usually an associate right there assisting us. Another difference is I've never bought more than one gallon of milk at a time at Costco.
Very informative about the difference between the two. They both have unique advantages, but I prefer Costco. I believe your statement about membership cards at Costco is incorrect. You can get two cards, but they need to be people that reside in the same household. Sam's Club doesn't have that requirement.
You're correct! I just read that on their website and was surprised to read that. Everyone in Utah is a Costco member but I feel like I know most people who don't follow this rule, so maybe it changed at some point?
It’s so interesting how different Costco is by region. For instance, milk at my Costco I can buy 1 gallon. They aren’t sold in boxes of 2 1 gallon jugs.
And if your Sam’s Club is always a ghost town, it might not be there for very much longer. I know the one my parents used to go to is no longer there. It’s just an empty hulk. I think that Costco just has better quality products and people liked it more so Sam’s Club just couldn’t compete.
I have never used the Costco website to purchase anything but I believe you that’s garbage. But to be fair Walmart will not price match its own prices from its app so both companies have issues .
Wow, I wish we could get a la carte milk at Costco! And you're right about Walmart not pricing- don't like that either! :(
I like Costco but the ones in Dallas are not in convenient locations. You have to drive to the suburbs for most and the one in Dallas proper is a madhouse bc of it.
There are more Sam’s Club and spread out evenly leaving for a more enjoyable shopping experience. I like Kirkland products but not enough to deal with how packed Costco gets.
Since there is no Costco near me the automatic win goes to Sam's which is 15 minutes away. Awesome content!
I have both and frequently go to both. Sam’s employees almost always leave pallets of items directly in the middle of isles. I feel like they'll run you over and not look back.
Seems some people getting gas at Sam’s Clubthink they can come into the pump area any which way they want to. I haven’t seen that happening at Costco. I can get to the restroom area quicker at Sam’s than Costco. Either, not so bad on weekdays as it is on weekends.
Clothing - Both seem to carry only small and medium.
Costco self checkout is annoying not being able to leave everything in the cart. If it’s about loss prevention, you already have people at the door checking your receipt. So it’s just redundant.
Sam's has Scan n Go love it. Costco needs to up their game.
Costco!
My Sam’s club always asks to see membership at entry.
Thank you for the video. On the quality of the Clothes they are recycle material I just stop buying them there for that reason. Your better off buying clothes at other stores. But Walmart has the same thing with Clothes you really have to pay attention, because some clothes are 89% cotton or other and the rest is recycle. Just keep a close Eye if you decide to buy clothes at Sam's and Walmart again. Thank you ounce again for the video and have a great weekend.
When I go to Sam’s I do have to show my card to get in.
That’s one thing that gets on my nerves is the hearing aid department in Costco. If you had to go to your actual audiologist the whole thing is locked out when you get it repaired or tracked out that’s why I don’t like hearing aids.
Apple Pay doesn't work at Costco unless you have some other Visa card saved in it. Since Apple Pay is Mastercard, you can't use it at Costco, not even at the pump.
That's right. Costco does not accept certain cards and I should have mentioned that! (but mine does use apple pay as long as it's a card they accept!)
Sam’s Club is too far away (45 - 90 mins) from me. Costco is only 25 mins away. When I lived where they were across the street from each other I still only had a Costco membership. Except when I lived where Costco was over 3 hrs away I have had a Costco membership for about 30 years. I would probably have both memberships if Sam’s Club was not so far away.
I shopped at Sam’s Club for many years, then last year, I swapped to Costco. After 3 months there, I canceled my membership, got refunded and went back to Sam’s Club. Here’s my reasons:
1. Sam’s club was much closer, and I get gas cheap there, plus they have a car wash.
2. Costco was way too crowded. Sam’s club was busy but Costco was so busy I’d have to be very careful not to run into someone.
3. The inside of Costco was bigger, so if I forgot something and had to go across the store to get it, it tired me quicker and I had all that foot traffic to go through again.
4. I’m so used to Sam’s Club that I mostly know where everything is. I never learned Costco even after 3 months.
5. For items I buy at Sam’s Club, it seemed Costco had a substitute that was higher in sugar.
6. I like the choices at Sam’s Club. I had to search hard to find things I wanted at Costco.
7. I typically shop Sam’s club for high quantity items. I don’t really like their hamburger, so I buy many items at Aldi. Aldi is also close by me.
Super fair points!! I wish we had an Aldi in Utah. I've never been to one!
Sams gives us cash back with our super app plus closest Costco to us is near St Louis and no cash back😢 won’t use credit card for rewards unless paying off card
Why can’t our Costco cafe cafe carry chopped up onions for the hot dogs?o
Weird... I was just looking at Sams Club this afternoon, even though Costco is closer.
Obviously, I love both!! But hope you can see what works best for you! :)
Costco is also more expensive than Sams club.I know of at least 2 itmes that are cheaper at Sams club.
Sam’s club for sure. The app for scan to go you can’t beat. Also at Sam’s club you don’t need to be a member to eat at the cafe.
I don't believe you need to be a member to use the cafe at my costco! But I have heard they are starting to do that in some clubs :( another plus for Sams!
@@Lisa.Childs th-cam.com/video/SgK58MsGbaM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=vRVifk6XtCZMIa7T
@@Lisa.Childs: While Costco officially restricted food court access to members in 2020, the newly posted signs detailing store policy suggest tougher enforcement is needed. "Effective April 8, 2024, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court.
My con is that they are at least an hour and a half away.
proximity definitely matters!!
Costco doesn’t accept mastercard. Still love the place though, but keep that in mind
That's right!
I understand that you ask other people to pick up items from Costco because you’re busy and out of convenience, but some people are sharing their memberships that way. It’s unfair to members that pay for their memberships and see that others are enjoying the same savings and benefits without having to pay is not right. Also, on the business side, Costco is able to keep their prices low because of the membership revenue that they collect.
Exactly! I definitely understand they have to draw the line somewhere, but it's just a minor inconvenience for me :)
@@Lisa.ChildsBoohoo, a poor billion dollar company, what will they ever do. The prices are no different than the bulk food at Smart & Final and you don't need a membership.
Im a costco guy simply because I refuse to support anything walmart
Do you have to be Mormon to live in Salt Lake City?
I'm NW OF Gainesville FL. You'd think Costco would have a place as large as Gainesville, but I hear they go by the income level for the area. The great news is Biden is working hard to bring Costco to every corner.
Sam's Club, bar none!... SCAN&GO, Better named products.. i rather have coca cola than kirkland soda 😂... Free delivery for plus members ...
Costco is a better quality product..
Agreed!
If both carry the EXACT same item Sam's Club is an average of $1-$2 cheaper!!!
Costco's target demographic is people.
Sam's target demographic are businesses.
Sam's also have free shipping if you're a Plus Member!
I've noticed some things are that way at both stores going either way! (same things more expensive/cheaper at Sam's or Costco!) I usually do my trips on teh same day but the good thing is, I can look at the prices on the Sam's app while in Costco. No way to look up pricing on Costco app
Yes, the Costco app is unusable.
Thank you for validating!! It is so useless!
It is a known fact that items on Costco’s website are more expensive because they are including shipping in that price!! You ordered a bbq and are complaining it was more expensive than in store and can’t figure out why??? I’m not even a Costco fan but it’s not exactly fair to make that a con!!
I actually don't think it's a known fact that the prices are higher due to shipping. If it is, then it should be noted on the website. But I just checked my order details, and I was charged the extra $100+ (it was $499 when in club it was $369) for the online price and an additional $50 shipping charge. So for me personally, it is a major con.
@@Lisa.Childs It literally says *shipping and handling included in price* under the price of the items! That’s pretty straightforward! It’s also listed in other places! For the Blackstone it lets you know in your cart that you’re paying a $50 fee on top of shipping because it’s a Costco Direct item when you’re checking out! No way you can miss all this and then complain about it! Also in their policy it states they do not price match in club from the website yet you acted annoyed when they told you that!
I just purchased a Costco membership. It was explained to me that they charge higher for each item on the website, as well as the shipping charge. They charge you more, because someone is taking the time to collect your items for you. It is not unreasonable, but it is important information that may affect a person's purchase decisions.
If everyone shops the two big name brand stores, all the little stores will be gone. Think a little farther ahead, what about real estate around where you live. No other stores is community disaster.
I will never wait 30-45 min in line for gas. Pre made food you like, ish! Look at the ingredients!
I buy the big quantities which is how everything is sold, I throw 1/2 away.
Sam’s is same as Walmart! You don’t know what you’re supporting, should look a little deeper.
Sams club is toyota costco is honda
Just an observation all throughout the video you use the word “like” consistently as a filler word.
Thanks for watching!