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Which Wholesale Store Is Better: Costco or Sam's Club?

LearnVest — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:05:49 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Discount warehouses are your answer if you’re looking to stock up on hors d’oeuvres for your next dinner party, get the latest electronics and buy a new futon for your living room all in one trip. Costco and Sam’s Club are the wholesale reigning kings, offering their members a convenient one-stop-shop for all of their big and small household needs. But the question is: Which store gives you more bang for your buck?

Product analysis website Cheapism recently did a side-by-side comparison of the two wholesale stores. Here’s a look at the breakdown of this heated face-off.

Membership Fees: Both stores offer tiered membership options with higher membership costs translating into perks such as discounts and cash back. Sam’s Club has a cheaper basic membership fee with more in-store benefits. Costco has a higher membership fee but includes services like car and home insurance as well as discounted travel. Costco’s top-tier Executive Membership offers refunds, which is a great deal for big shoppers.
Winner: Costco

Keep reading for the side-by-side comparison.

Readers Name Cheaper Items in Costco

SavvySugar — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:20:59 PDT

We know now to stay clear of fresh produce at Costco and instead reach for the frozen products when shopping at the discount retailer. However, there are plenty of other items that are great deals at Costco. Here's what readers have to say:

"I shop at Costco for a few things: shampoo/conditioner, tampons (seriously, 8 bucks for a box of 88?! Target is twice that for half the amount!), and liquor. At my Costco, you don't have to be a member to buy the booze, and it's super cheap!" - JanetG0307
"Liquor is much cheaper at Costco! Same for dog food, toilet paper, and books!" - iamdaphneblake
"Costco has cheaper bulk items and some excellent sales especially on toilet paper, paper towels, dvd's, beer, spices, etc. The best part is the coupons!" - Lmendel530
"After going to Costco once, I did the math and figured out that my local grocery store has the same per unit price. Considering it's quite a drive to get to Costco I'm sticking with shopping at WinCo." - amber512

What Products Are Cheaper in Costco?

Emily Co — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 03:05:24 PDT

There's always this perception that you spend less at discount wholesalers than regular grocery stores. However, personal finance blog Squawkfox did a little price comparison investigation and found that it's actually more expensive to buy fresh foods at bulk stores. The blog advises to:

Buy Fresh Produce at Your Local Store: "Costco’s fresh produce tends to be more expensive than Superstore, based on unit price. For example, Costco’s gala apples sell for $2.13/kg, while Superstore offers the deal at $1.28/kg. I also found Costco to be more pricey for fresh vegetables, chicken breasts, milk, cheese, and coffee."
Get Frozen Foods From Bulk Shops: If you want your goods to last a little longer, you might want to purchase the frozen kind, which is cheaper in Costco. You'll be getting a bang for your buck; not only does the frozen food in the discount shop beat the local store in terms of price, but it also has higher quality.
Purchase Packaged Goods at Wholesalers: Squawkfox pointed out another interesting tip for bulk shoppers: the more "packaged" an item (sold in cans, jars, and tubes), the cheaper it will be at shops like Costco. "Stocking up on canned tomatoes, mustard, ketchup, and sandwich bread could save you up to 50 percent over similar brand name products sold at regular supermarkets."

Guess How Much the Most Expensive Diamond Ring at Costco Costs?

Emily Co — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:43:39 PDT

The discount wholesaler is known for its affordable prices, so customers always expect the best deal possible when they're shopping at Costco. I mean there's a reason why you go to Tiffany's to buy a ring, and there's a whole other reason why you would buy one from Costco, right? Costco recently announced the sale of this 6.77 carat diamond ring, which its gemologists have claimed to be internally flawless and colorless cut. The cut of the diamond is apparently excellent as well.

Although the diamond ring sounds perfect, let's see if it is the perfect deal as well. Take my quick quiz to find out how much the priciest diamond ring at Costco costs!

Question 1 of 1

Guess how much the most expensive diamond ring at Costco costs?

Yummy Links: From Four Loko to Costco Pizza

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:17:45 PST

Four Loko drunken blackouts are out; Four Loko-fueled cars are in. - Eater
The latest promo from White Castle: Buy one breakfast slider, get one free. - Bargainist
How to use a Boston shaker. - Huffington Post Food
SoCal's beloved Umami Burger is going national. - Grub Street LA
The 20 healthiest fast food options if you've gotta get your fix. - The Hungry Beast
Knob Creek's come out with a new single-barrel reserve bourbon. - Slashfood
Which type of wine lover are you? - Gray Market Report
Betcha didn't know: Costco is the 15th largest pizza chain in the US. - Slice

Coca-Cola Drinks Back on Shelves at Costco

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:00:01 PST

This holiday season, Costco shoppers can breathe a collective sigh of relief: Coca-Cola products will be back on shelves Monday. Last month, after a surprisingly public pricing squabble with the world's largest soft drink maker, the wholesale club stopped ordering Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani, VitaminWater, Fresca, Odwalla, and all other Coca-Cola beverages from stores nationwide.

"Our sign that we had in stores everywhere basically said it all - 'Until we can provide our members with these products at competitive prices and provide our members with value, we are not prepared to sell it,'" Costco CFO Richard Galanti said. "We're now going to sell it."

Considering Costco's market influence, I knew there would be a quick resolution, and I'm glad it has come in time for most of the month's holiday parties. Are you excited to hear that Coke will be back on Costco shelves?

Source: Flickr User paulswansen

Costco No Longer Carrying Coca-Cola Products

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:15:25 PST

If you weren't able to locate a case of Coke on your last trip to Costco, don't worry - you aren't going crazy. Yesterday, the wholesale club confirmed that it is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in stores nationwide.

The Washington-based wholesaler is currently in the middle of a dispute with the Coca-Cola Co. Although neither would comment on the matter further, the world's largest soft drink maker said that it was involved in "ongoing negotiations" with the store.

Considering Costco is the fifth largest general retailer in the United States, I'm predicting a resolution soon. But in the meantime, customers will simply have to shop elsewhere to get their Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani, VitaminWater, Fresca, Minute Maid, and Odwalla fills (among others). Will you be forced to stock up on soft drinks elsewhere?

Yummy Links: From Chinese Noodles to the Pork Party

partysugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:50:45 PDT

Chinese noodles are a simple and delicious meal.- Cooking With Amy
Costco is now accepting food stamps at two New York City locations. - Serious Eats
A new movie, Fresh, puts the food industry into perspective. - Epicurious
Should teens be taught more about alcohol? - Alcademics
Don't miss this crazy video of the 2009 Cheese Roll. - Eat Me Daily
Move over margarita, here's 10 other tequila cocktails to enjoy this Summer. - Chow
The latest on the frozen yogurt front: the Pinkberry Fruit Parfait. - Eater
Wouldn't you love to eat at this pork party for the ages? - The Feedbag

Disney Backs Down On Ratatouille Themed Wine

partysugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:27:31 PDT

Ratatouille, one of the summer's most entertaining movies (I checked with BuzzSugar), has been so successful in the theaters that Disney jumped at the chance to sell foodie related products. Among them, a California brand of Ratatouille wine with Remy, the cute little rat, on the label. However Disney's plans to introduce the wine at Costco have run into so many road blocks, that they have decided to drop the wine. According to spokesman Gary Foster,

We've decided to just not go through with it. We've been getting a trickle of inquiries and complaints.

Turns out the California Wine Institute was upset about having a California wine represent a movie that encourages and promotes all things French. Also the idea of having a wine based around a children's cartoon outraged the opponents of underage drinking.

I thought the idea of a wine based on the movie was clever and cute, but maybe that's because I always select wines based on their labels... what do you guys think? Are you glad Disney has put a stop to the plans?

Source: LA Times

Even Better Than The "Real Thing"

YumSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:13:13 PDT

Holy Cannoli Batman! Get us to Costco stat!

Just in time for Cinco De Mayo, cases of authentic Mexican Coca Cola have been spotted at Costco. They're able to sell it since they've conformed to the US and California's regulations, such as labeling the CRV (the recycling deposit) and nutrition facts.

So why is this news? Well it tastes different, it's made from sugar instead of corn syrup, and people even say that the fizz lasts longer due to the glass bottle. The Atlanta based Coca-Cola Co. considers Mexican Coke in America to be a form of "bootlegging."

"We believe that the appeal of Mexican Coke is as much about nostalgia as it is about anything," says Martin. "It's like getting a piece of home in a bottle. You can't deny the fact that it's in a tall glass bottle, something you just can't find in most parts of the United States."

But it's the "same exact product," and Mexican bottlers are buying the ingredients straight from the company, says Martin.

If it's the same product, then tell me why they sell a kosher Coke during Passover that uses sugar, and tastes more like Mexican Coke?

Also, I wonder where the folks at Costco are getting their Mexican Coke from.

"[The non-Coca-Cola distributors are] trespassing on the territory rights of many U.S. bottlers," said Coke spokesman Martin. "Bringing it into the country is not illegal. But what it does do from the Coca-Cola standpoint is it violates contractual rights that we have with our bottlers. And it has potential trademark right infringements as well."

Hrmm... I better get myself to Costco while it's still available!

Source: SFist and Santa Cruz Sentinel
Image Source: slworking2 on Flickr - Thanks for documenting this for us!