The 6 Key Ways Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Are Different

Locations

Costco has, by far, the most locations compared with Sam’s Club and BJ’s. There are approximately 800 Costco locations, 600 Sam’s Club locations and 255 BJ’s locations. Costco has shops worldwide, with locations in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan, among others. Meanwhile, Sam’s Club locations can be found coast-to-coast in the United States. BJ’s has the smallest operation, with 21 locations only on the East Coast, in the South and in Ohio.

Membership costs

Although Costco has the most locations of these warehouse stores, the store also has the highest yearly membership cost. The most basic annual Costco membership is $65, compared with $50 for Sam’s Club and $60 for BJ’s, per their websites. One review of Costco and Sam’s Club notes, however, that although Costco has a higher membership price, it offers a wider selection of services and a prescription program, and lots of Costco shoppers attest it is worth it . Sam’s Club requires a membership upgrade to access their pharmacy savings program.

Rewards

All three stores have very similar rewards programs if you upgrade to a pricier membership. Costco’s Executive Membership offers a 2% reward on travel services in addition to a 2% reward on up to $1,000 a year. In comparison, Sam’s Club Plus rewards 2% Sam’s Cash Back, and BJ’s offers 2% cash back as well, if you sign up for their Perks Rewards card.

Prices

There are countless price comparison reports for Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s. According to one, BJ’s just barely topped Costco for the best pricing, followed by Sam’s Club. In another comparison, Costco products were cheaper than those at Sam’s Club—but the cost of membership was also taken into account, making Costco’s cost more for the first visit. Yet another review found that BJ’s has the best prices followed by Sam’s Club, then Costco.

Note, cost is relative to the types of products you purchase—like organic or non-organic produce, for example—as well as the level of membership you purchase, and your location. Costco and Sam’s Club also offer additional services like eye exams , which adds to their value.

Return policies

Neither Costco nor Sam’s Club has a hard deadline for non-electronic returns, although Sam’s Club recommends having the receipt and original packaging. As for BJ’s, items purchased over a year ago aren’t returnable; neither is used merchandise without the original packaging and accessories. BJ’s also has a list of items that are not returnable.

Shopping experiences

According to the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index, Sam’s Club ranks higher in customer satisfaction than Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club. The report ranks America’s best department and discount stores based on more than 50,000 customer surveys. Experts maintained that Sam’s surge above Costco was mainly due to the scan-and-go checkout option. Possibly evening out the playing field? Earlier this year, Costco revealed that it is testing out similar scan-and-go technology .

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Sources:

• Costco : Company Information
• Walmart : Location Facts
• BJ’s : Club Locator
• Costco : Join Costco
• BJ’s : Membership
• Sam’s Club : Join
• Cheapism : “Sam’s Club vs. Costco: Which Is Better?”
• The Savvy Mama : “Sam’s Club vs. Costco vs. BJ’s: Warehouse Prices Compared”
• ABC15 Arizona : “Costco vs. Sam’s Club: How do they stack up against each other?”
• The Penny Hoarder : “Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s: We Figured Out Which is Actually Cheapest”
• BJ’s : “What is BJ’s Wholesale Club’s Return Policy?”