The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
QUESTION: Which one do you prefer? Sam’s Club or Costco?
Talk about it.
The Water Cooler – Sam’s Club Or Costco – Which One Is Better?
“C” WINCO
🙂
I have both memberships, and they are equally great. The only thing is that Sam’s club has some of the same products at lower prices than even the sale prices at Costco! Also I pay for the plus membership and I get to shop 8am-10am 6 days a week before they officially open at 10am daily. It’s nice to beat the rush!
Agree. Also, Sam’s is more accurate when shopping online. Costco pulls up random items that I wasn’t even looking for.
Costco has a wider selection of items, better meat and a MUCH better parking lot with wide spaces.
Sam’s has better produce and the “scan & go” feature on your phone is a game changer.
Sam’s app also lets you purchase gas.
@Cowellian
No Sam’s gas in Claycord area, only Costco. Nearest Sam’s gas I know of is Citrus Heights, near Sacramento.
there’s a SAM’s in Vacaville with gas pumps, next door to the outlets shopping center
@S
Thanks for the update on Vacaville.
I have memberships at Costco and Sam’s Club. I usually go to Costco once a month and stock up on things I can’t get from other sources. I use Sam’s Club as a 7-11, stopping in once or twice a week to pick up items we go through quickly.
In California, we used to have memberships in Price Club, Costco, Pace and Office Club. Then Costco bought Price Club and became Price Costco for a year or so. Sam’s bought Pace and Office Club became Office Depot.
Costco
I have both. I love them both for their own reasons.
Sam’s has a good variety of snacks & drinks than Costco in my opinion. Costco is great for home goods and such.
BUT Sam’s club is great for quick in & outs’ as it is less crowded than Costco even on Sams busiest days! AND Sam’s has an app that you can scan & go and to have to stand in the check out line!! Time saver!
I’ve never been to Sam’s, and I only go to Costco once in a blue moon. To me, Costco is too crazy, with shoppers pushing their carts all over willy-nilly, and not paying attention to other shoppers around them. When I go to Costco, it’s usually for one or two items which I will grab, pay for it and leave.
The last time I was at Costco I discovered a fig spread, and since I like figs, I thought I’d give it a try. It’s so good, I will go back and buy some more.
Peanut butter and fig sandwich, mmm, good.
I’m with S, WinCo gets my vote.
Never been to sam’s, we’ll do costco shuffle twice a month.
Wife is a good parking spot talisman.
That vacant abandoned shopping cart in an isle, I understand that person.
Have gone to costco near a holiday, cruised thru the parking lot and left, don’t like crowds.
Now have a cutoff date, usually 6 days before a holiday.
Have learned when shopping, need to watch wife.
Yet still get surprised at checkout at what comes out of the basket.
Her slight of hand is amazing . . . . .
Have both and prefer Costco over Sam’s for canned/dried stuff. But Sam’s has better hamburger. I do most of my other shopping at Winco.
I go to the Costco in Concord and everytime I go there I wish they would build another one somewhere in the county so people would not crowd the Concord store. I wish they would reopen the outside garden area. The other thing that I am not wild about is changing the areas where things are shelved. Although the Safeway where I go to mostly in Countrywood Shopping Center has been remodeled and the guy who rearranged that store should be straight out hung. It’s been months now and it takes me twice as long to shop as it used to because I can’t find anything.
Stores re-arrange where items are displayed to get patrons to buy more by having them look at more items trying to find what they came for (impulse buys).
This is a sales strategy @RICARDOH. They move things around so that you see what else they have for you to grab. It works for them, not so much for your wallet.
I would say I would buy more if I knew where everything was.
I agree that Costco needs a second location in Central Contra Costa County, because the Concord store is often quite mobbed. I was thinking that the big open lot at Bates Avenue and Commcercial Circle in north Concord would be a great location from one (which just happens to be across the street from where a Price Club was MANY YEARS AGO).
Because, East Contra Costa County will soon be getting a second Costco store in Brentwood, which will help ease the mobs at the Antioch store, as East Contra Costa County has grown SO MUCH over the past 20-30 years!!
@Ricardoh
There is another Costco in Central CC County, in Danville. Also one in Antioch, although that’s not central county. How about one in Orinda/Lafayette area?
They are farther away,but thanks
Altho Sam”s can be quite busy, it seems that Costco is always a freaking zoo. I like Sam’s more anyway because is located Just a block from my work location.
Nothing compares to the Sam’s Club’s in Sacramento, Twice the size of Concord, and better than COSTCO because of WalMarts buying power.
I used to have a Sam’s membership in the midwest, more than 2 decades ago, and I liked going there. Here, in Concord, only go to Costco, but I only go there for limited things, staples usually, except at Christmas, then, a lot more. Not sure if Sam’s would be complimentary or simply unnecessary/duplicative at this point, with what little I do buy.
I’d have no idea. Pretty sure I’ve never been in either. I think a membership fee was a no-go for the lead shopper of the family. And now that it’s just me, I don’t need a 25lb bag of coffee creamer or a pallet of bananas most days.
Costco needs a quick check lane for those who only go for a couple things.
Sam’s hands down. I quit Costco. Also huge savings that actually get applied every time you shop.
I just go to Costco once or twice a year, usually for batteries or printer ink, but then since I’m there, I’ll get nuts, oatmeal, TP and look around to see if I need anything else. However, half the time by the time I get to the checkout, I’m out of time and decide the lines are too long and put everything back. Once, I went to Sam’s in Fairfield with someone else and it was quiet in there and well stocked so if it were more convenient, I’d go there, but I’m not much of a shopper anyway, so wouldn’t go out of my way for it. I went into Sam’s in Concord once to look around, and it seemed okay but didn’t imagine myself shopping there regularly.
Thanks everyone! Seems like Sam’s club is less crowded than Costco and got like the same items. I might have to check it out. I got to Costco every other month, and order for home delivery all my non-fresh essentials monthly. I hate going to Costco, I literally live 2 blocks away from it, but I do agree it is a zoo in there. Last time I almost got run over along with my shopping cart🤦♂️. The Costco crew at the door never acknowledge you when you walk in, you are just a % of their sales.
Sam’s food court is so much better than Costco’s. More items, cheaper, and they have chocolate frozen custard or frozen yogurt, not sure what they call it. We have the plus membership, and they ship free to your door (not perishable items), and use it for dog food, nuts, oatmeal, a lot of items, since I no longer live in Contra Costa county. Next time I get back there I need to go there after 10am (when the food court opens), and get chocolate frozen custard, and I think it was only a dollar!