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Sam's vs Costco memberships...?

I was a Sam's member for years. Now I am a COSTCO member.

Meats and other products are about the same, IMO, as well as prices.

However, COSTCO employees are definitely happier in their jobs, from my observations. The founder of COSTCO catches a lot of flack on Wall Street for treating his store-level employees too well in pay and benefits. Wall Street prefers Sam's, for sure.

IMO, the employees at COSTCO are more friendly and helpful than the employees I dealt with at Sam's. They actually seem to like their jobs better.

CD
 
Stoke&Smoke said:
We have a membership to both. Our Costco only has boneless butts, and rarely have brisket. I like the butts and sometimes the ribs at Sam's, but mine rarely if ever has packers.

Gas at both is almost the same on any given day, and around here is 15-20 cents less per gallon.

I like comparison shopping between the two as for us, they are both less than three miles from home
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My COSTCO seems to always have brisket. But this is Texas, where demand for brisket is high.

CD
 
The whole chickens at my local Sams (probably the same one Ron_L uses) are injected. I complained about the misleading labeling (Natural Chicken) and the manager said he would get back to me about it but so far has not.

I've also been less than pleased with the produce. I hate going through the items on display trying to find one that is not moldy!

I don't expect them to change chicken vendors on one customer's account but I can at least let them know why I don't buy chickens there any more. And if enough things make my "do not buy" list I'll drop my membership again.

I have been getting briskets, ribs and butts there and have been happy with those.
 
sdbbq1234 said:
SAMs will accept VISA as long as it has a "debit" account attached to it. We use our VISA at SAMs and just click the credit button. They still get our money, but the points or whatever the hell we get for using credit card option is applied.
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Forgot- that works at costco as well.

And I dont think its bad when its semi crowded- the only really bad places are by the really good free samples.
 
PatAttack said:
That's crazy! Wonder why they don't accept the most used card in the world?
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They accept my VISA debit card. VISA and Mastercard credit cards charge higher merchant fees than their debit cards do.

COSTCO has a co-marketing agreement with Amex. COSTCO signs up new AMEX cardholders, and COSTCO gets a special deal on merchant fees.

CD
 
BubbaCoy said:
We have memberships to both Sams & Costco. Like others have said, each seems to have a few items that the other does not. Overall, we find Costco to be cleaner, better lit, and better customer service.

What Bubba said. I buy my butts from Sams though. My Costco only sells boneless butts. Oh and my lil sweetie loves the samples @ Costco.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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Had Costco, went to SAMs for bone in butts and packers, went back to Costco for the tri tip now I'm in at RD (which ironically doesn't carry tri tip at mine)
 
SAMs has decent prices on butts, but we are lucky enough to have Wegmans in the area; $1.29lb non-enhanced product.

wallace
 
All of the big box stores also differ from location to location. If you are thinking of adding or switching your membership, ask at the customer service desk for a day pass (sometimes they have a 30 day trial) and walk around the club, look for the stuff you use, look for stuff you might like to use. Only you can decide if one or the other ( or both) is best for you.
 
I also prefer Costco's over Sams, I rarely use my Sams card now day's. My Costco's has choice full packers that's the only reason I got a membership, all the Sams I have been to around here only have select packers and Angus flats never any choice or prime packers that I've heard so much about on this here brethren and I live in brisket country and the best you get is select:crazy:. Sams has all the vending machine and a nice selection of food service stuff and spices. The seafood/meat selection at Costco's is nice along with there cheeses, you need to take a walk around.
 
You guys and your "whole packer briskets" at ANY place (SAMs, Costco, whatever) that carries them, well, I am pisssed! To even think of that 55 mile drive (one way thru Wash, DC traffic) to RD makes me mad!!! :evil:

SAMs or Costco doesn't even know what a "whole packer brisket" is in this area. Gas aint getting any cheaper here.

SAMs has flats for $4.79lb, and Costco is about the same. And, those are flat by all means!!!

Wish I had a better option...................

wallace
 
I've got a same membership (much closer and have NO complaints). I've been to Costco a few times and have n solute,y no idea how anybody pretends to claim a difference. It's like exactly the same store.
 
caseydog said:
I was a Sam's member for years. Now I am a COSTCO member.

Meats and other products are about the same, IMO, as well as prices.

However, COSTCO employees are definitely happier in their jobs, from my observations. The founder of COSTCO catches a lot of flack on Wall Street for treating his store-level employees too well in pay and benefits. Wall Street prefers Sam's, for sure.

IMO, the employees at COSTCO are more friendly and helpful than the employees I dealt with at Sam's. They actually seem to like their jobs better.

CD
Click to expand...
This did it for me Sams has been screwing there employees forever. Talk to one person who work there and she couldnt get insurance after three years!!!!
 
DevineSwine said:
This did it for me Sams has been screwing there employees forever. Talk to one person who work there and she couldnt get insurance after three years!!!!
Click to expand...

Employees who like their jobs take better care of their customers. I immediately noticed a difference what I switched.

On a different note, my COSTCO sells a different brand of chicken than some I have seen of this thread, and mine is un-enhanced and excellent.

But, then again, I can almost always find choice brisket packers in my COSTCO.

So, location matters, it seems.

No matter where you shop, you have to be a smart shopper.

CD
 
Like many others I current have at both Sam's and Costco. The brisket packers at the 3 closest Sam's are always select. While the Costco has always had choice packers and they are the same price that Sam's is selling the Select packers for. I prefer the ribs at Costco as well. Now just like others have pointed out Sam's does have the bone in pork shoulder.

As far as the friendliness cleanliness I think that is more to do with the demographics of the area unless you are lucky enough to have a Sam's and Costco directly across the street from one another. At which point the CostCo does prove to be better IMO.

If I had to only chose one membership to keep I would keep Costco.
 
Is there a way you can work a trade on memberships with a friend? We signed up for a Costco membership a while back-the line in Sams was too long, and I didn't feel like waiting. I mentioned it at a family dinner and our niece informed us that we were still on her Sams card. I called up Costco, and put her name down for my second person. Now My girlfriend has a Sams card we can use, I have a Costco card we can use, and the niece has both. It's a win-win, and only costs each person a single membership.
 
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