Withhigh grocery pricesstraining household budgets, shoppers are turning to warehouse chains in drovesand the numbers prove it.
These are not your typical supermarkets: customers pay an annual membership feeto shop forgoods in bulk.
Here’s a breakdown of how these three popular clubs compare.
BJ’s Wholesale Club / Facebook
Membership prices
Costco:America’s leading warehouse club offerstwo main membership levelsfor families.
Sam’s Club:Membership to the Walmart-owned clubcomes in at a slightly lower cost than Costco.
Many of the benefits overlap between each membership level.
JJava Designs / Shutterstock
There is no business membership option at Sam’s Club.
BJ’s:This East Coast wholesale chain offers two membership levels:Club and Club+.
BJ’s also offers two business membership levels for $55 and $110 annually.
Shutterstock / Design: Joe Heroun
Sam’s Club operates in 44 states.
These findings aligned with the conclusions from anOctober 2023 studyconducted by the AARP.
Costco doesn’t offer free trials, but it does extend itsmoney-back guaranteeto its memberships.
Shutterstock
That can add up to even more savings on already-low prices.
The menu is regularly changing, with Costco rolling outchocolate soft-serveand a newturkey and Swiss sandwichthis year.
For dessert, members can buy frozen yogurt cups and sundaes.
BJ’s Wholesale Club / Facebook
Though there are slight menu differences, the offerings at Sam’s Club and Costco are largely the same.
BJ’s:BJ’s warehouses used to offer food courts, too, but those have been discontinued.
Instead, BJ’s locations have featuredDunkin' kiosks since 2016.
Courtesy of Sam’s Club
All three clubs also carry their own store brands, offering more savings over name-brand goods.
There are some differences between the three chains, however.
For starters, if you are looking for the widest selection of organic products, stick with Costco.
Eric Glenn / Shutterstock.
Meanwhile, BJ’sstatesthat it offers more than 7,000 SKUs.
In fact, even non-members can purchase items online, including groceries.
Curbside pickup is not available at most warehouse locations.
BJ’s:Online shopping is available for BJ’s members.
The warehouse’s1-day non-member shopping passalso extends online, allowing customers to make purchases on BJs.com without a membership card.
Additionally, the retailer’s health services accept FSA/HSA Visa or MasterCard debit cards.
Customers can also pay via cash, check, and debit card when shopping in-club.
This story has been updated to include new information, copy edits, and fact-checking.
