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!
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.
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.
please just slow down. be payient. it's like street traffic, be willing to yield, be courtious, say thank you, say excuse me, There is a reason why it's so busy. you know, and so do they. you all go to Costco not to be anoyed by people who are there for the same reason you are right? It's for the $1.50 hot dog & drink or the $5.00 rotisserie chicken, or the top quality everything at rock bottom prices. you go to Costco because you're smart., but all the others , well they're smart too, that's why it's full of smart shoppers.
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...
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
As a older person, I use curbside pickup for heavy items such as Water cases. They bring it out and place in the car, when i get home my Son takes it out.
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.
@@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 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.
EXCELLENT review! But I'm amazed at how different our Costco and Sams look from the pictures you're showing of your stores. Looks like there are serious differences from one state or area to another.
Thank you for putting this out! We recently got a Costco closer to us, but the way we shop our Sams membership is better. You just helped me answer an important question.
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
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.
Depends on your location. Costco was great when I lived om west coast but their new store in Springfield Missouri is a sad sad representation. Sam's is far better.
Neither Costco or Sams produces their own beef. Both are supplied by the same vendors. If yours happens to be better, then that is completely unrelated to the store.
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
@@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.
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.
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.
Great info. Thank you for spending time going through the details. I've been considering getting a Costco membership soon because my sister moved to another state. It's good to know what I'm getting into as I've never bought a store membership before. Thanks again for sharing!
I have both memberships. I prefer Sam’s. I will shop at Costco in a pinch but I will drive the extra distance to Sam’s. Sam’s frozen veggies are the best, cream cheese has a better taste even though the ingredients are the same, the rotisserie chickens are larger and tastier, the frozen fruit is tastier especially their blue berries. I’m stuck eating a bag of blue berries from Costco but I won’t buy those again. I could go on but you get the picture. It’s a trial and error thing until you figure out what works best for you. Happy shopping.
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.
Sam's has cheaper prices for the same products, it's bakery is far superior, it's mashed potatoes are slightly better (BJ's mashed potatoes are the best), and they don't give you a cavity search at the door. Also their pizza is better.
Not true that both are only closed on those seven days. Costco is closed other days as well as they are union-controlled. One thing I like more about Sams is that I can use their Sams points as I accumulate them, whereas at Costco you only get the cash back amount at the end of the year. Sams also sells more gift cards, all at a reduced price. I have found a huge difference from one Sams to another. Our Sams nearest to us is as neat and clean as Costco. However, when I go to the Sams near my daughter's house in Iowa, it's like a giant warehouse with exposed pipes and stuff still on pallets and it can look like a war zone at times. Our Sams has just as many organic products as our Costco does. Self check out works a LOT better at our Sams than at Costco where you always need an assistant nearby. Checkout is much better at Sams - they scan the barcode and then randomly check three items in the cart.
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 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.
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.
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!
I had both membrships. I enjoyed my browsing at Sam's Club far more than at Costco. Sam's also had a variety of food products that I preferred to the ones at Costco. Sam's also seems to take more chances than Costco at having new or odd items for sale. This made treasure hunting browsing much more amusing for me.
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 :(
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!
I shop at Sams Club for 1 reason only. It's around the corner from my house. The nearest Costco is like 20 minutes away and Sams Club is like 2 minutes away. And I do not see that much of a difference between the two to justify the drive.
I have both and the I find myself shopping at Sam’s more because the pricing is better and I order for pickup a lot. Costco doesn’t have pickup as an option. (At least not in my area). I also like that Sam’s offers some discounted prices on some items when you use the scan and go in the store.
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!!!!
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 have been sold the 2 players basketball games to Costco and Sam's Club, just the Iron pipe diameter is not different, 40mm is for Costco and 32mm is for Sam's Club. and also sold 25 mm to Walmart USA.
Sam's Club and Costco can be compared to Chase and Bank of America. Both Sam and Chase banks seem like ghost towns because their lines are always short and sometimes nonexistent, this is because they are up-to-date and modern with their checkout options. Both Costco and BOA are old school with their checkout options and slow service, resulting in long lines, crowded parking lots, and headaches. Additionally, lines at the gas pumps for Sam’s are usually short and quick! You're welcome!
I use to work at Costco. they probably keep everything so cheap because they can pay their understaffed employees minimum wage to constantly work on stocking and scanning with a 30 minute break a day. they will try to find ways to fire you if you start to become older, slower, but 'overpayed' by micromanaging their overpayed employees till they finally lose it. The managers like to do this "we're family and love our employees" but I can't name a single employee that enjoys working there...
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 .
I'm thinking of getting a Sam's club membership. I can get the executive one for 60% right now if you're a new member and 50 years old. One thing I can never find locally is pork belly and old bay hot sauce. I'm curious if Sam's club carries it.
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.
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 😂
Costco gas is also top tier gasoline which select fuel stations offer and Sam’s does not have top tier gasoline which has added benefits for your vehicle
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.
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.
Sam’s always feels ghetto, while Costco feels more regular. It’s almost like Walmart vs Target. I cancelled my Sam’s auto renewal. I only tried them again after many years away, because of the Black Friday deal last year for $20.
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.
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!!!
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.
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 built a new store in Springfield Missouri and I was amazed at how low quality it is... mostly a glorified grocery store. They don't have much of anything else. Sam's Club has FAR more, and good quality. Their deli items are excellent. I really like their scan & go, where you scan your items as you shop, scan your card, and completely bypass the checkout.
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.
Sam's Club is a lot closer to me so I go there. Costco has other services that are better than Sam's like car rental. Just looked up a rental on both sites. The Costco rental is a little cheaper but includes free extra driver where Sam's does not have the free extra driver. For me, this is important since I travel with people I do not live with.
But every store is different. Out of all the 40 stores I’ve been to, the best costco is worse than the worst sams. I find between scan and go, and the far better treatment I receive no matter where I go, Sam’s wins.
The per unit of measurement cost? Warehouses have lower prices as they can buy products is larger quantities at a time, than do smaller local markets. Odd a local matket can beat a warehouse cost in terms of per unit cost. What stores are these?
@@OftheTold-7 1) Most grocery stores have comparable buying power to Costco. Kroger is actually larger and has more buying power than Costco (in terms of groceries). Albertsons has about 70% of Costco's sales numbers, while both Publix and AHOLD DELHAIZE USA stores have over 50% of Costco's revenue, and are thus on a similar playing field in terms of buying power. 2) Costco and Sam's Club are like Walmart in their approach to sales. On average, grocery prices at Walmart will be cheaper than their grocery store competitors. That, while true, does not tell the whole story. This is because Walmart does not have sales like most grocery stores do. Most grocery stores put out a weekly advertisement showing what is on sale that particular week. The advertised items are often cheaper than the normal price of those items at competing stores. Many of the items, especially on the front page, are significantly cheaper than their competitors (including places like Costco and Sam's Club) and are even sold at a loss. This means that the store actually looses money on these items. However, it is these sales that bring in many of the customers. While the store looses money on some of the front page items, the vast majority of people will also buy their other items at the same store. This brings the profit of most of these transaction back into the positive side. If you buy things that are on these weekly sales, they will usually be cheaper (in terms of per unit cost) than Sams Club, Coctco, and wlamart prices. With at least 3 decent grocery stores in my area all having rotating sales. Most of the groceries I buy are usually on sale at one store or an other. 3) Warehouse stores don't try to win by having the lowest prices. If you doubt that, then ask yourself why they almost never advertise or even publish their prices? Other grocery stores have brightly colored circulars advertising the prices of dozens to hundreds of items. These prices are all over their websites, in local newspapers, and even mailed directly to customers mailboxes. Once in a while, I will receive a little booklet from Costco, but most of the items don't even have prices. They just advertise that such and such item is "$2 off". I still have no idea what the price is or if it is a good deal. Now, that doesn't mean that these stores don't have their place. I buy most of my flour, dried beans, fresh mozzarella, and several other items from warehouse stores. If you don't want to be bothered with thinking about how thinking about how much things cost, a warehouse store or Walmart is a good place to shop as your will on average spend less than at other places. I just happened to learn about how grocery stores work when I was struggling more financially, so I have the knowledge and experience to take advantage of the sales structures of different grocery stores.
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.
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: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hearing it's flooded with 'newcomers' now.
Same people are act crazy from parking to shopping.
please just slow down. be payient. it's like street traffic, be willing to yield, be courtious, say thank you, say excuse me, There is a reason why it's so busy. you know, and so do they. you all go to Costco not to be anoyed by people who are there for the same reason you are right? It's for the $1.50 hot dog & drink or the $5.00 rotisserie chicken, or the top quality everything at rock bottom prices. you go to Costco because you're smart., but all the others , well they're smart too, that's why it's full of smart shoppers.
@@robertburkhardt3506 I’ll stick with Sams, even though it’s twice as far for me
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...
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.
If you try to eat clean, Costco is definitely a great choice!
Thanks!
Wow, thank you so much!!!!! I appreciate you! - Lisa
This was very well done and informative. Everything is spot on.
As a older person, I use curbside pickup for heavy items such as Water cases. They bring it out and place in the car, when i get home my Son takes it out.
So informative. Appreciate your candor!
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.
Great video! Thanks! I don’t have either, but I’m looking to join one. I’m leaning more towards Sam’s Club.
As a single person I wanted to see which would be better, thanks for the content! 💝
@@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 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.
EXCELLENT review! But I'm amazed at how different our Costco and Sams look from the pictures you're showing of your stores. Looks like there are serious differences from one state or area to another.
Thank you for putting this out! We recently got a Costco closer to us, but the way we shop our Sams membership is better. You just helped me answer an important question.
You guys do a great job. Thanks for producing and sharing.
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.
Depends on your location. Costco was great when I lived om west coast but their new store in Springfield Missouri is a sad sad representation. Sam's is far better.
Neither Costco or Sams produces their own beef. Both are supplied by the same vendors. If yours happens to be better, then that is completely unrelated to the store.
They both have good products. Depends what one is looking for. I shop at both:).
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 can freeze grated cheese
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
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.
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.
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.
Great video! Very informative! Thank you!
We live in Iowa and we have to show our membership card at Sam's.
Great info. Thank you for spending time going through the details. I've been considering getting a Costco membership soon because my sister moved to another state. It's good to know what I'm getting into as I've never bought a store membership before. Thanks again for sharing!
I'm so glad it was helpful! I absolutely love Costco so I hope you do too:)
I have both memberships. I prefer Sam’s. I will shop at Costco in a pinch but I will drive the extra distance to Sam’s. Sam’s frozen veggies are the best, cream cheese has a better taste even though the ingredients are the same, the rotisserie chickens are larger and tastier, the frozen fruit is tastier especially their blue berries. I’m stuck eating a bag of blue berries from Costco but I won’t buy those again. I could go on but you get the picture. It’s a trial and error thing until you figure out what works best for you. Happy shopping.
Fantastic information. Thank you!
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.
Have both. Sams has nice tire warranty,. Early opening.
Costco has good products quality. But crowded all the time!
I recognize the wasatch mountains when I see them
Sam's has cheaper prices for the same products, it's bakery is far superior, it's mashed potatoes are slightly better (BJ's mashed potatoes are the best), and they don't give you a cavity search at the door.
Also their pizza is better.
Great video, Thank you😊
Since there is no Costco near me the automatic win goes to Sam's which is 15 minutes away. Awesome content!
Our Sams Club is always busy!
...for a reason. Sams is far better.
Not true that both are only closed on those seven days. Costco is closed other days as well as they are union-controlled. One thing I like more about Sams is that I can use their Sams points as I accumulate them, whereas at Costco you only get the cash back amount at the end of the year. Sams also sells more gift cards, all at a reduced price. I have found a huge difference from one Sams to another. Our Sams nearest to us is as neat and clean as Costco. However, when I go to the Sams near my daughter's house in Iowa, it's like a giant warehouse with exposed pipes and stuff still on pallets and it can look like a war zone at times. Our Sams has just as many organic products as our Costco does. Self check out works a LOT better at our Sams than at Costco where you always need an assistant nearby. Checkout is much better at Sams - they scan the barcode and then randomly check three items in the cart.
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.
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 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 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!
@@Lisa.Childsthey have it at my store and it’s the best thing ever!
I had both membrships. I enjoyed my browsing at Sam's Club far more than at Costco. Sam's also had a variety of food products that I preferred to the ones at Costco. Sam's also seems to take more chances than Costco at having new or odd items for sale. This made treasure hunting browsing much more amusing for me.
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 :(
My Sam’s club always asks to see membership at entry.
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 shop at Sams Club for 1 reason only. It's around the corner from my house. The nearest Costco is like 20 minutes away and Sams Club is like 2 minutes away. And I do not see that much of a difference between the two to justify the drive.
I have 2 costcos within a couple minutes of me so I always go there as well. But I do go out of my way to Sam's Club for certain things!
Sams club hotdogs and 32 once drinks. The scan and go is the best part
I have both and the I find myself shopping at Sam’s more because the pricing is better and I order for pickup a lot. Costco doesn’t have pickup as an option. (At least not in my area). I also like that Sam’s offers some discounted prices on some items when you use the scan and go in the store.
Excellent job.
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!!!!
TOTALLY agree that Sams is upping their game.
Yes Costco jobs are great but the CDS demonstrators jobs are contracted which isn’t great employer.
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.
stay away from coke! U want diabetes or what?
@@carnivalwholesale9809 were talking about shopping st a wholesale club. Diabetes is a given. Lol
@@toddmorgan1442 water bottle is a quarter at costco
I have been sold the 2 players basketball games to Costco and Sam's Club, just the Iron pipe diameter is not different, 40mm is for Costco and 32mm is for Sam's Club. and also sold 25 mm to Walmart USA.
Sam's for sure
Thank you Gina
I was torn on which one to get, honestly I think Sam’s wins because it’s just more my thing based on your playback
I love both!
Sam's has Scan n Go love it. Costco needs to up their game.
In the Bay Area Region of California, there are only two Sam's Club locations, so I am only familiar with Costco.
And in small print at my Sam's a notice we're charged a fee to use the pump.
Really!? Where are you located?
Sam's Club and Costco can be compared to Chase and Bank of America. Both Sam and Chase banks seem like ghost towns because their lines are always short and sometimes nonexistent, this is because they are up-to-date and modern with their checkout options. Both Costco and BOA are old school with their checkout options and slow service, resulting in long lines, crowded parking lots, and headaches.
Additionally, lines at the gas pumps for Sam’s are usually short and quick! You're welcome!
I use to work at Costco. they probably keep everything so cheap because they can pay their understaffed employees minimum wage to constantly work on stocking and scanning with a 30 minute break a day. they will try to find ways to fire you if you start to become older, slower, but 'overpayed' by micromanaging their overpayed employees till they finally lose it. The managers like to do this "we're family and love our employees" but I can't name a single employee that enjoys working there...
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! :(
One thing about Sam's Club in Costco I noticed I've been price comparison Costco is 4 to $6 more per grocery item
I'm thinking of getting a Sam's club membership. I can get the executive one for 60% right now if you're a new member and 50 years old. One thing I can never find locally is pork belly and old bay hot sauce. I'm curious if Sam's club carries it.
Sams club member for 24 years I love it.
no you're 22 years
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.
That's true!
Sams also has a friends and family day or 1 day temp free membership
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 😂
Costco gas is also top tier gasoline which select fuel stations offer and Sam’s does not have top tier gasoline which has added benefits for your vehicle
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!
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.
Thanks, now I may take advantage of the discounted Sam's Club membership.
Have fun!
Sam’s always feels ghetto, while Costco feels more regular. It’s almost like Walmart vs Target. I cancelled my Sam’s auto renewal. I only tried them again after many years away, because of the Black Friday deal last year for $20.
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.
I have both memberships.
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!!!
Scan and Go is the biggest advantage Sam's Club has, but I'm going back to Costco bc the variety is way better at Costco. Better quality too.
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.
Our Costco requires that both members be in the same household.
Ours too.
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.
Thank you
Since when can you have a 2nd member that doesn't live at the same address?
If Costco came to Lakeland Florida no questions asked I would join
OH, wow! Sams is so busy at our city!
Costco built a new store in Springfield Missouri and I was amazed at how low quality it is... mostly a glorified grocery store. They don't have much of anything else. Sam's Club has FAR more, and good quality. Their deli items are excellent. I really like their scan & go, where you scan your items as you shop, scan your card, and completely bypass the checkout.
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.
I compared a few produce items I usually purchase in walmart and I am shocked sam's club costs more. I do enjoy their croissants tho.
I know! some things cost more or less at each store, even though they have the same supplier and they're usually right next to each other.
Sam's Club is a lot closer to me so I go there. Costco has other services that are better than Sam's like car rental. Just looked up a rental on both sites. The Costco rental is a little cheaper but includes free extra driver where Sam's does not have the free extra driver. For me, this is important since I travel with people I do not live with.
The ice cream and pizza alone make me prefer Costco 😂
But every store is different. Out of all the 40 stores I’ve been to, the best costco is worse than the worst sams. I find between scan and go, and the far better treatment I receive no matter where I go, Sam’s wins.
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.
The per unit of measurement cost? Warehouses have lower prices as they can buy products is larger quantities at a time, than do smaller local markets. Odd a local matket can beat a warehouse cost in terms of per unit cost. What stores are these?
@@OftheTold-7
1) Most grocery stores have comparable buying power to Costco. Kroger is actually larger and has more buying power than Costco (in terms of groceries). Albertsons has about 70% of Costco's sales numbers, while both Publix and AHOLD DELHAIZE USA stores have over 50% of Costco's revenue, and are thus on a similar playing field in terms of buying power.
2) Costco and Sam's Club are like Walmart in their approach to sales. On average, grocery prices at Walmart will be cheaper than their grocery store competitors. That, while true, does not tell the whole story. This is because Walmart does not have sales like most grocery stores do.
Most grocery stores put out a weekly advertisement showing what is on sale that particular week. The advertised items are often cheaper than the normal price of those items at competing stores. Many of the items, especially on the front page, are significantly cheaper than their competitors (including places like Costco and Sam's Club) and are even sold at a loss. This means that the store actually looses money on these items. However, it is these sales that bring in many of the customers. While the store looses money on some of the front page items, the vast majority of people will also buy their other items at the same store. This brings the profit of most of these transaction back into the positive side.
If you buy things that are on these weekly sales, they will usually be cheaper (in terms of per unit cost) than Sams Club, Coctco, and wlamart prices.
With at least 3 decent grocery stores in my area all having rotating sales. Most of the groceries I buy are usually on sale at one store or an other.
3) Warehouse stores don't try to win by having the lowest prices. If you doubt that, then ask yourself why they almost never advertise or even publish their prices? Other grocery stores have brightly colored circulars advertising the prices of dozens to hundreds of items. These prices are all over their websites, in local newspapers, and even mailed directly to customers mailboxes. Once in a while, I will receive a little booklet from Costco, but most of the items don't even have prices. They just advertise that such and such item is "$2 off". I still have no idea what the price is or if it is a good deal.
Now, that doesn't mean that these stores don't have their place. I buy most of my flour, dried beans, fresh mozzarella, and several other items from warehouse stores. If you don't want to be bothered with thinking about how thinking about how much things cost, a warehouse store or Walmart is a good place to shop as your will on average spend less than at other places.
I just happened to learn about how grocery stores work when I was struggling more financially, so I have the knowledge and experience to take advantage of the sales structures of different grocery stores.
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!
@@ChristieAyre we looked and couldn’t find any.
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.
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.
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!!
We dont ever like anything at Walmart based because when we find something we like and enjoy, well they no longer carry the item.