Costco vs Sams Club

[WaTaGuMp]

It's 10% increase so $5 for basic and $10 for executive. $55/$110 yr. Like I said using that money on Amazon Prime membership might be a better value.

Oops, I said a 5% increase, my bad, it is $5 for me.

 

[alkemyst]

I have a Sam's, BJ's and Costco membership..all offer different things.

As a single guy I don't think you will benefit as much.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Costco all day every day.

 

[BoomerD]

Costco.

Get the $100 Executive membership with their AmEx card. It gives you 3% back on gas, and Costco's gas is always .25 cheaper than anywhere else. I use the card to pay bills and for gas, and I get back around $180 each year. It pays for the membership and I get some extra.

Costco and Sams have two different models. Sams is mostly "buy a big quantity and save!" Costco is better, imo, because they have shoppers that go out and contract companies so they can sell unique and top quality products. Their meat dept. is top notch, their fruits and veggies are the best available, and their other products are either unique to Costco or they have something added to them that nobody else offers.

An example of this would be cell phones: if you buy, say, a Droid Bionic from Costco, you not only get the phone, but a desktop dock, and extra battery, and a car dock. If you buy an XBox, you get the console, a free HDMI cable, and two free games. Etc.

They also add 2 years onto the warranty for their products and have a very generous return policy. I've bought food there that I didn't like, told the customer service about it, they looked up my transaction and credited my account back. I don't know of anyone else that would do that.

So, Sams is for bargain shoppers, but nothing beats Costco.

I wish Costco gas was $.25/gallon cheaper here. It's either the same price as the Arco AM/PM's, or 2-3 cents cheaper at best.

Costco's return policy is fabulous. Everything except electronics has an unlimited return. (although if you abuse the policy, they can restrict your returns) Even their 2-year electronics warranty is great. They have "concierge service" that handles the warranty claims for you...and you still have 90 days to return electronics. (too damned many abused that when it was unlimited.)

We don't have a Sam's here...thank gawd...Wally World is bad enough.

 

[SKORPI0]

Costco>>>>Sam's Club.

Used to shop at Sam's (6 miles)when there was no Costco nearby, till they opened one Nov 2006 (2 miles).

Sam's was one of my favorite places for open boxed/clearance items, back when Hot Deals was popular here. I rarely see that my the local Costco, expect for returned LCD TVs.

I usually end up buying the same items every week/10 days. $4.99 rotisserie chicken, muffins, bananas, eggs, Soy milk, Langer's Mango nectar, Quakers cereals/oatmeal, chocolate syrup/power mix, jasmine rice.

Might end up buying some tires later on with the good sales/warranty Costco has. Gas is usually $0.20 cheaper.

 

[Craig234]

Costco has a reputation for treating their workers better, higher wages etc.

Sam's Club makes the richest family in the country, the Waltons, richer, and they use that money to back the right-wing political efforts that help make the rich richer, if you care.

So, not a penny of mine goes to Sam's Club.

From what I hear, Costco is nicer merchandise, but it's a no express lane, often crowded shopping experience. Nice cheap hot dogs, ice cream and pizza at a food area.

 

[jacktesterson]

Costco has better quality stuff.

Costco > Sam's Club in my opinion.

 

[stargazr]

Costco has a reputation for treating their workers better, higher wages etc.

This is the truth.

We have a Sam's Club within 2-3 miles. My gf works there so I go pretty often for gas, meat, cheese, eggs, breads, coffee, spices, paper towels, dog food and anything else we use regularly that will get used up. I won't buy ground beef anywhere else. Their pork loin is awesome. Very good fresh meats.

I've found some good deals on clothes, electronics, CD's, DVD's and other ass't merchandise occasionally. The stock changes rapidly in some sections so if you see something you like, it could be sold out forever the next day.

There is no one place with the best prices on everything. It still pays to comparison shop. Some items are very inexpensive compared to a grocery store, like spices. Other things don't seem that cheap even in bulk. The main thing is not buying anything perishable that you might not use up.

Here in San Antonio the gas is almost always several cents a gallon cheaper.

Costco does more or less the same thing, but slightly different stuff. If it was closer and I didn't have a free membership, I'd probably go to Costco.

 

[waggy]

Costco has a reputation for treating their workers better, higher wages etc.


From what I hear, Costco is nicer merchandise, but it's a no express lane, often crowded shopping experience. Nice cheap hot dogs, ice cream and pizza at a food area.

Costco also has a reputation for getting local governments to condemn good buildings so they can build on it. So which is worse? "abusing" the workers or abuse of eminent domain?


http://www.forbes.com/2003/06/11/cz_ic_0611beltway.html

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/costco.htm


I can link more stories but you get the point.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Costco has better quality stuff, SAMs is bottom dollar Walmart crap

 

[Craig234]

Costco also has a reputation for getting local governments to condemn good buildings so they can build on it. So which is worse? "abusing" the workers or abuse of eminent domain?


http://www.forbes.com/2003/06/11/cz_ic_0611beltway.html

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/costco.htm


I can link more stories but you get the point.

It's not as if the Walton companies are 'better than that'. Costco isn't perfect, it's better.

 

[DCal430]

It's not as if the Walton companies are 'better than that'. Costco isn't perfect, it's better.

Atleast everyone at Sams Club is an employee earning more than minimum wage. Here Costco contracts out for the food sampler people. These people earn nothing more than minimum wage and have no benefits. They are worst off than the lowest Sam Club worker. There are lots of these food samplers at each costco too, all earning poverty wages. They would be better off working at a McDonalds too.

 

[Fritzo]

Costco has a reputation for treating their workers better, higher wages etc.

Sam's Club makes the richest family in the country, the Waltons, richer, and they use that money to back the right-wing political efforts that help make the rich richer, if you care.

So, not a penny of mine goes to Sam's Club.

From what I hear, Costco is nicer merchandise, but it's a no express lane, often crowded shopping experience. Nice cheap hot dogs, ice cream and pizza at a food area.

Oh man, they have those $1.50 hand dipped chocolate ice cream bars rolled in pecans that's as big as your hand. OMMMMMMMM nom nom nom nom...

 

[Fritzo]

Atleast everyone at Sams Club is an employee earning more than minimum wage. Here Costco contracts out for the food sampler people. These people earn nothing more than minimum wage and have no benefits. They are worst off than the lowest Sam Club worker. There are lots of these food samplers at each costco too, all earning poverty wages. They would be better off working at a McDonalds too.

Food samplers are temp workers. The regular employees at Costco are paid well and have a generous health care and profit sharing package.

Analysts suggest Costco stop treating its employees so well:

You’d think that if a company treats its employees well (a lot better than their competitors) and gets great business results because of it, that this company and it executives would be celebrated and praised for it.

You’d be wrong.

The New York Times has a great article about Costco, the huge American chain of supermarkets who spend much more on their employees than their main competitors:

Costco’s average pay, for example, is $17 an hour, 42 percent higher than its fiercest rival, Sam’s Club. And Costco’s health plan makes those at many other retailers look Scroogish.

According to Costco’s CEO Jim Sinegal, this makes good business sense:

Good wages and benefits are why Costco has extremely low rates of turnover and theft by employees, he said. And Costco’s customers, who are more affluent than other warehouse store shoppers, stay loyal because they like that low prices do not come at the workers’ expense. “This is not altruistic,” he said. “This is good business.”

The results are pretty impressive:

Costco’s stock price has risen more than 10 percent in the last 12 months, while Wal-Mart’s has slipped 5 percent. Costco shares sell for almost 23 times expected earnings; at Wal-Mart the multiple is about 19.

 

[yinan]

I will never shop at WM or SM. They are both evil. I love Costco though, they know what customer service is.

 

[waggy]

It's not as if the Walton companies are 'better than that'. Costco isn't perfect, it's better.

didn't say either was better. Just pointing out costco is not the company people think it is. yinans post is a example.

I will never shop at WM or SM. They are both evil. I love Costco though, they know what customer service is.

So a company that has a reputation for having people forceably moved from their homes is not evil? which is worse? paying workers min wage or kicking people out of their house?


both are evil.

 

[DCal430]

Food samplers are temp workers. The regular employees at Costco are paid well and have a generous health care and profit sharing package.

Analysts suggest Costco stop treating its employees so well:

Not in California. Here is they are permenant employees of another company that Costco has contracted out too. This company only services costco though. These workers work at the same costco for years full time and earn next to nothing for it.

 

[skyking]

They're really not. Costco has higher quality stuff, Sams has cheaper stuff. Same look, different concepts.

Costco has a fixed margin business plan. I cannot recall the exact percentage, but they make it work across the whole company. A 3# bunch of bananas is $1.39 here or in California or over in Kauai, where the shipping costs are much higher. I appreciated that when we vacationed in Hawaii.

 

[yinan]

didn't say either was better. Just pointing out costco is not the company people think it is. yinans post is a example.





So a company that has a reputation for having people forceably moved from their homes is not evil? which is worse? paying workers min wage or kicking people out of their house?


both are evil.

I can only wish someday that I am paid money and moved from my house by some giant corporation...

 

[waggy]

I can only wish someday that I am paid money and moved from my house by some giant corporation...

errr i don't think you get it. it's NOT the giant corporation moving you. its the government using ED. so they ask the local goverment for the land. they then claim the houses are condemned then pay a low rate for the house. YOU don't have a choice IF you want to move and how much they pay you (below what its worth).

 

[alkemyst]

Eminent Domain cases usually have the property being at above market value...however; many homeowners feel their homes are worth much more and try to hold out.

It's usually the stragglers that get screwed.

In almost all cases I have read about, the properties that were razed were freaking ghettos...it's good for everyone to get that riffraff out.

 

[waggy]

Eminent Domain cases usually have the property being at above market value...however; many homeowners feel their homes are worth much more and try to hold out.

It's usually the stragglers that get screwed.

In almost all cases I have read about, the properties that were razed were freaking ghettos...it's good for everyone to get that riffraff out.

weird i have read/seen that they get lower then market value.

Also i don't care if they are ghettos. It's someones home. NO home should be taken to have the property given to a business. EVER.

but my main point is that Costco is not a good company either. those bitching that sams club does not treat the workers well are being hypocritical if they shop at costo knowing what they do.

 

[alkemyst]

if they truly were robbed in this way by the government it would be all over CNN, likewise if these people mattered.

If it weren't for eminent domain, much of our infrastructure would never have been built.

Also home have a certain lifespan...many times these are all home way beyond their usable and safe lives.

 

[lightpants]

Food samplers are temp workers. The regular employees at Costco are paid well and have a generous health care and profit sharing package.

Analysts suggest Costco stop treating its employees so well:

I have a part-time job at Costco. I work there 24 hours a week. I started at $10.50 and hour but the best thing is the benefits. I get medical insurance, dental insurance, company matched 401k, paid vacation and holidays. I started a computer consulting business 2 years ago, and I was getting killed paying hundreds of dollars a month for crappy insurance with a $7500 a year deductible. Years ago I worked in retail and I swore when I left there I would never do it again. Costco treats employees so well it is unbelievable. We had an employee appreciation day a few weeks ago. The managers all came in and grilled everyone steaks, burgers and chicken. They expect your to work hard, but they take care of you, for sure!
I say choose a Costco membership, but mine is free! The also give you 2 free memberships to give out to whom ever you like. So, make friends with someone who works there!
Jim

 

[bigi]

.

Plus the pizza tastes better.

+1. This is very true.

Still prefer Costco for other stuff.