Jump to content

Which is better - Sam’s or Costco?

msucolt45

By msucolt45
in Business and Markets

 Share

Recommended Posts

msucolt45

msucolt45 4025

Posted
Posted

They both have basically the same bulk stuff. My wife being a teacher got us a Sam’s membership that is less than half of the annual Costco membership. I do like Costco, as it’s close to work and I’ll shop there during my lunch break.

 

Costco also has “better” unbranded gasoline compared to Sam’s

 

Tell me why Sam’s is better.

 

Hook’em!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)

If Costco Texas could sell spirits, I'd lean that way.  As it were, I generally shop Sam's, but for us it's totally been a matter of convenience/ location.

Edited by slorch
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DalTxHornFan

DalTxHornFan 3088

Posted
Posted

Costco thick steaks and lamb racks, shanks, and chops totally kick ass.  (Who gives a F about chicken or pork?  Those are commodity products.) 

Costco wine selection is really great. 

Agree that other bulk products are basically the same at both shops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
UpperWestside

UpperWestside 6137

Posted
Posted

I am really big on shopping, especially grocery stores. Both of these behemoths have good stuff. I have a Costco in my neighborhood, but I can also go get on a NJ Transit bus and be over at Wal-Mart/Sam’s in Secaucus in a relatively short amount of time. I would rather get meat, fish or chicken from Sam’s. They also have some things in there that are brands from Texas which can be cool to see. 
 

Really for any of y’all it is just a matter of convenience and personal preferences on what you are looking to buy. The biggest thing I love about Sam’s is I can scan as I go and pay on the app and completely skip having to stand in any line. I just show the digital receipt on my way out. I would definitely steer some of y’all towards Sam’s if time is of the essence. Those are some quick trips in there and that’s pretty awesome considering how backed up Costco can get at the registers. I see people in line at Sam’s and I’m just amazed that more people do not use their app and will instead stand in line to pay. 

  • Hook 'Em 3
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I am really big on shopping, especially grocery stores. Both of these behemoths have good stuff. I have a Costco in my neighborhood, but I can also go get on a NJ Transit bus and be over at Wal-Mart/Sam’s in Secaucus in a relatively short amount of time. I would rather get meat, fish or chicken from Sam’s. They also have some things in there that are brands from Texas which can be cool to see. 
 

Really for any of y’all it is just a matter of convenience and personal preferences on what you are looking to buy. The biggest thing I love about Sam’s is I can scan as I go and pay on the app and completely skip having to stand in any line. I just show the digital receipt on my way out. I would definitely steer some of y’all towards Sam’s if time is of the essence. Those are some quick trips in there and that’s pretty awesome considering how backed up Costco can get at the registers. I see people in line at Sam’s and I’m just amazed that more people do not use their app and will instead stand in line to pay. 

Hauling shit home from Sams on a bus.

You a bad motherfucker.  LOL.  That just does not sound fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Redneck Mutha

Redneck Mutha 7939

Posted
Posted

Wife has always been Team Costco, I like both for different reasons.  The past couple years she's coming around to Sam's, as they carry the Ole' brand tortillas and single serve guac she likes for the wraps she makes for lunch.  

tl, dr.... whycan'twehaveboth.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tomahawk dunk

tomahawk dunk 321

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Harrison Stafford said:

Sam’s has better paper products and offers a much better selection of spices..  This is the important shit you learn when you’ve retired and your spouse drags you along on numerous shopping trips.  

a true renaissance man!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Harrison Stafford said:

Costco is city.  Sam’s is country.

Tell me you've never lived in the country without saying you've never lived in the country.

If you meant to say Dollar General, then carry on...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KYHorn

KYHorn 16871

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I am really big on shopping, especially grocery stores. Both of these behemoths have good stuff. I have a Costco in my neighborhood, but I can also go get on a NJ Transit bus and be over at Wal-Mart/Sam’s in Secaucus in a relatively short amount of time. I would rather get meat, fish or chicken from Sam’s. They also have some things in there that are brands from Texas which can be cool to see. 
 

Really for any of y’all it is just a matter of convenience and personal preferences on what you are looking to buy. The biggest thing I love about Sam’s is I can scan as I go and pay on the app and completely skip having to stand in any line. I just show the digital receipt on my way out. I would definitely steer some of y’all towards Sam’s if time is of the essence. Those are some quick trips in there and that’s pretty awesome considering how backed up Costco can get at the registers. I see people in line at Sam’s and I’m just amazed that more people do not use their app and will instead stand in line to pay. 

You also get extra discounts by using scan and go. They don't advertise the sales that I'm aware of, the discounts just show up as you scan. Sam's just announced that they're doing away with the receipt checks altogether by using AI and cameras to check the products in your cart. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

We have both. I prefer Sams.  But we also have a nice Sams. There’s one next town over that I would never step in again (very poor layout). Sams easier to get in and out of, Costco always slammed.  

Amarillo has 2 Sams, which is a little unusual for a city of 200k.  Let's just say the demographics vary pretty greatly across the 2 stores, and I take advantage of that shit all the time.  The hoity-toity Sam's will be out of Fairlife or whatever nutritional drinks we are buying.  Next day if I am near the other store, pop in, and voila, there's a whole pallet of them. At the 2nd store, the freshness of avocados and certain meats tend to be better, as they turn more..

We never bought a membership to Costco in The Woodlands because Sams was just a hellova lot easier with regard to traffic( immediate access to David Memorial DR, the backroad to Oak Ridge North. Then we shopped Costco with family in Denver and I would definitely shop there if one was more accessible- the nearest one to us is 120 miles away in Lubbock, so again it just comes down to convenience/ location.

Edited by slorch
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brisketexan

Brisketexan 104752

Posted
Posted

Agree on Costco being a bit higher end.  In NW Austin, the Sams and Costco are maybe 1/4 mile apart.  Now that we're just 2 people (3 while my daughter is with us...hopefully she gets a job and moves out very soon), there's barely a point in keeping one membership.  We've never had two.  My dad is a Sams member.  I hadn't been to Sams in probably 5 years, but yesterday, he decided he might want a recliner they had for sale.  So, I picked him up in my truck and we headed over.  Can't beat the crowd when it's 19 degrees outside and the panicky authorities told everyone to stay home.  We had the store to ourselves.  Opted against the recliner, so we just wandered around a bit.  Some higher end things (like king crab legs) they had for a better price than Costco.  And my dad says their roasted chickens are much better than Costco's.  Something I saw that impressed me was that they had decent warm winter coats, for men, women, and kids, in the $20-35 range.  That's really affordable for working class folks.  I pointed that out, and my dad said "yep, and the crowd you see shopping here reflects that."  Sam's is a Wal-Mart store, and it reflects it.  It's nice enough, but I didn't see anything that would drive us to switch our membership (we mostly load upon Kirkland paper products, and various sparkling waters and such by the case).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wally Fairway

Wally Fairway 5528

Posted
Posted

In general I like the quality and selection of items better at Costco, use their travel services (mainly for rental cars) and have used the link to Zurich for life insurance. Sam's feels exactly like what is is - an extension of Wal-Mart, locally the one closest to my work closed years ago, so now it is further away and part of a retail property with too much traffic.
Costco return policy is the best, I didn't know what to get tWife so I went to Costco and spent more than I should have on Ipad, kitchen counter, top appliances, couple other seasonal items, and she said it was too much .... so returned it was. Win/Win

Also - there is another option, BJ's Warehouse opened a location less than 2 miles from my house, and it is smaller and seems the brands I like, but their gas is inexpensive, not quite a low a Costco with the credit card rebate, but It isn't worth it to drive 15 miles to get gas.  I wouldn't stop at a BJ's, as I'd rather go to a grocery, or somewhere else for electronics, etc

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Deej

Deej 76600

Posted
Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

They mark up prices in addition to paying the Instacart fees and tips.  

They are always sending me deals for X number of dollars off of purchases, which more than makes up for the slight markups. Always get zero delivery fees.  As far as the tip goes, worth it not to have to actually go into Costco. Probably save money not making impulse purchases, anyway. 

Edited by Deej
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7730

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Deej said:

They are always sending me deals for X number of dollars off of purchases, which more than makes up for the slight markups. Always get zero delivery fees.  As far as the tip goes, worth it not to have to actually go into Costco. Probably save money not making impulse purchases, anyway. 

I did it once during the lockdown.  I knew what some things cost as I regularly shop there.  I think the markups were in the 20-30% range.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Incredulity

Incredulity 11567

Posted
Posted

We have gotten delivery(to be honest I am not sure the service my wife has used) from Costco more often over the last few years.  Unfortunately the substitutions have left us with 2 of the commercial/foodservice roll tinfoils. instead of the consumer size two pack.  We will have those until we die.

imageService?profileId=12026540&imageId=

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
'stache

'stache 21778

Posted
Posted

I've been told that Costco generics are a little better and more varied, but our Costcos are way out in the exurbs, so we use Sams because they are closer and more easily accessible. I'm pretty happy with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Deej

Deej 76600

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I did it once during the lockdown.  I knew what some things cost as I regularly shop there.  I think the markups were in the 20-30% range.

They may have been during lockdown, but they aren't nearly that much now. The stuff I regulary buy is usally marginally more expensive, if not the same price. I ordered last week, and the two pound bag of whole bean coffee was actually 80 cents cheaper through Instacart, for whatever reason.  A case of bottled water was the exact same price. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Deej

Deej 76600

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I did it once during the lockdown.  I knew what some things cost as I regularly shop there.  I think the markups were in the 20-30% range.

Did you enter your membership card number on the Instacart site? If not, yeah, you pay a lot more. You get the membership prices with your card. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
baboso

baboso 6052

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Incredulity said:

We have gotten delivery(to be honest I am not sure the service my wife has used) from Costco more often over the last few years.  Unfortunately the substitutions have left us with 2 of the commercial/foodservice roll tinfoils. instead of the consumer size two pack.  We will have those until we die.

imageService?profileId=12026540&imageId=

Excuse to barbecue more often.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7730

Posted
Posted
Just now, Deej said:

Did you enter your membership card number on the Instacart site? If not, yeah, you pay a lot more. You get the membership prices with your card. 

Yeah, I uploaded my member number.  Maybe they've changed how they do it since then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
immamac

immamac 42568

Posted
Posted

Costco is better for personal stuff. For commercial/wholesale I prefer Sam’s by a significant margin. 

Sam’s caters to the Walmart crowd and the restaurant/bodega/self service business crowd. 

Costco caters to the big brand crowd but with more limited selection and higher base quality. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45609

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, BeardIP said:

/csb

I think I told this story before, but I was on a consulting project in NW Arkansas a few years ago where I spent a considerable amount of time (think, 3-4 days every week for months) at one of the big corporations NOT named Walmart in that NW Arkansas area. As you can imagine, there are no Costcos as that is Sam's gangland. And to be fair, the Sam's in that area are the flagship footprints-- super nice and higher end, etc.

The funniest thing though was that over time, I started to notice that all the men in that office dressed eerily similar. At first it wasn't blatant, like they weren't wearing the exact same Greg Norman shark polo in the exact same color with the exact same Haggar travel tech work pants and Eddie Bauer loafers, but over time it was very obvious that Sam's was the official Fashion House of even the upper middle class of NW Arkansas and the official outfitter of the white collar organizations in that area and everyone wore the exact same boring, middle-of-the-road brands/styles of clothes on a rotating color basis and it was quite hilarious. 

I'm struggling to think of anywhere closer than St. Louis or Dallas to get some non-generic clothes.  I assume those guys gave no shits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25903

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, immamac said:

Costco is better for personal stuff. For commercial/wholesale I prefer Sam’s by a significant margin. 

Sam’s caters to the Walmart crowd and the restaurant/bodega/self service business crowd. 

Costco caters to the big brand crowd but with more limited selection and higher base quality. 

Have you been to a Costco business center?   It absolutely caters to the bodega/restaurant crowd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...