Costco vs Sams Club

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Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
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.

I think I see 3-5 samplers in a Costco at any one time. Not sure what the big deal is there. They're probably people that just want to work part time at an easy job.
 

CountZero

Golden Member
Jul 10, 2001
1,796
36
86
Costco will save you money on generally higher quality items but won't save you money on items in general. What I mean is that chicken at Costco will be say free-range (as an example, don't know if it is) and Sam's will not. Costco will be a good deal for free range chicken but you can get cheaper chicken at Sam's.

If you are picky Costco is better if you want to stretch you dollar Sam's is better. If you are strongly liberal then not supporting Walmart might appeal to you (even if Costco is no angel general perception seems to be Walmart is worse).

If single and even considering it I'd probably do Costco. They seem to have more interesting stuff.
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
If you are strongly liberal then not supporting Walmart might appeal to you ...

I wouldn't even say you have to be strongly liberal to appreciate a company that doesn't systematically shit on their employees just because they can, but ok.

Of the two, I prefer Costco. We've got an Executive membership because we spend enough that it more than pays for itself with 2% rebate (a check spendable @ costco).

In general, for per-unit pricing, it usually breaks down like this:

• Grocery store or other regular retail (most expensive)
• Costco/Sams
• Retail on sale

For most items (at Costco at least) you're paying at least the same amount for a package of whatever, but you get more in it. You have to be able to use it all for it to make sense. I buy almost all my meat there, and any produce I know we'll go through.

Deli ham @ grocery store = $9/lb, any amount (1 slice)
Deli ham @ Costco = $3.50/lb, but you have to buy 2 lb packages

For many items, you'll pay about the same for an item but get extra stuff bundled - Xboxes usually come with an extra game or whatever.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
I think I see 3-5 samplers in a Costco at any one time. Not sure what the big deal is there. They're probably people that just want to work part time at an easy job.

Not to mention that simply handing out food samples should never be a job that demands any more than a basic wage...it's practically the definition for a minimum wage job.

Locally the sample givers get some kind of bonus for selling their entire cart, it's all verified by the sales of the day so if they have 25 items to start, but end up left with 12 yet 13 others sold that day; they get credit.

They are very nice people and almost exclusively retirees here. I have two high school classmates that started working there in their Junior and Senior years and have made it a career. They love their jobs and their friends that work there also speak very highly of the place. I haven't heard anyone bitch about their job either while shopping each week for the last 5+ years there. Many other stores you don't have to be a fly on the wall very long before you hear someone bitching about things.

Plus for such a large store it's always clean.
 

DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
6,020
9
81
I think I see 3-5 samplers in a Costco at any one time. Not sure what the big deal is there. They're probably people that just want to work part time at an easy job.

Alot of them basically work full time here and for many of them it is their only source of income. They live in absolute poverty. The food samplers at Sam Club atleast get benefits and a decent wage.
 

DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
6,020
9
81
Not to mention that simply handing out food samples should never be a job that demands any more than a basic wage...it's practically the definition for a minimum wage job.

Locally the sample givers get some kind of bonus for selling their entire cart, it's all verified by the sales of the day so if they have 25 items to start, but end up left with 12 yet 13 others sold that day; they get credit.

They are very nice people and almost exclusively retirees here. I have two high school classmates that started working there in their Junior and Senior years and have made it a career. They love their jobs and their friends that work there also speak very highly of the place. I haven't heard anyone bitch about their job either while shopping each week for the last 5+ years there. Many other stores you don't have to be a fly on the wall very long before you hear someone bitching about things.

Plus for such a large store it's always clean.

This may be true for where you live, but here most of them are not retirees and this is their only source of income, they live in endless poverty with no way out. They would be better off going to a MCDonalds to work. They would make more money as a Walmart greeter.

At my costco they usually have 5 to 10 samplers at any given time.
 
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Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Alot of them basically work full time here and for many of them it is their only source of income. They live in absolute poverty. The food samplers at Sam Club atleast get benefits and a decent wage.

How do you know how they work? Do you follow them on Facebook or something?
 

DCal430

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2011
6,020
9
81
How do you know how they work? Do you follow them on Facebook or something?


There are articles on the topic and two I go to costco and it the same people giving out free samples on different days of the week at different times.

FACT is the lowest paid person who works at a Costco is FAR worst off than the lowest paid person at either a walmart or a sams club. This is a known FACT.