[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Lynnesail

How do you shop at Costco in a golf cart?

Right now you don't. The new one that is being discussed in another thread will be golf cart accessible once it is completed.

[Dilligas]

Originally Posted by coralway

Check Costcos stock price, that will answer your question

Sam’s is a Walmart company. Check Walmart’s stock performance

[JRcorvette]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have never been in a Costco store, but many on this forum wax lyrical about them.

What are the main differences between a Costco and the other two?

Thank you

In my opinion you can get a higher quality of items at Costco. As for food about the same but I believe that Costco has better meats. I don’t care of BJ’s at all and it is way too far from us. They picked an awful location.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by FloridaGuy66

I've been a Costco member for 30+ years. I've also been a BJ member for a year (didn't renew) and I'm an active Sam's member (2+ years) but used to "borrow" a friends membership for a decade before that.

Costco is unparalleled. You're essentially getting only top quality goods at a great price. They're return policy is probably the best in the US among all retailers. They will take anything back without question in most cases.

Sam's is good. Definitely better than 5-10 years ago. They sell good stuff but sometimes a little lower end things than Costco. When the Costco gets built here we might keep our Sam's membership for the great car wash and a few meat items that we like to buy sometimes at Sam's.

BJ's is like a mini version of both. Much less food selection. I don't see how they will survive here when the Costco opens up.

They'll survive just fine. Remember The Villages aren't their only customers. Many families live up 441 and there are other Senior communities there as well. People in Weirsdale and northeast Summerville aren't going to pay for a yearly membership for a place they have to drive 40 minutes or longer to buy their food or fill up their gas tanks. Not when they can get what they /need/ in similar quantities 10 minutes from home at BJ's. BJs is the closest big-box store to anyone north-east of 441, until you get past the Ocala Forest and arrive on the "east coast" of the state.

[LuckyS]

I’m convinced stores like Costco, Trader Joes, etc., are phycological wants more than a need. We all came from places that had an abundance of these stores, and we just miss that feeling of knowing we can go to them without taking a one hour or so drive.

Also, we are in the middle of nowhere and having these major stores move in gives us a sense that we've arrived and no longer live in the middle of nowhere.

We have all done just fine without these stores and would continue to do just fine if they don’t come here. We just want that sense of home (where we came from).

Just my humble opinion

[jimkerr]

Originally Posted by FloridaGuy66

I've been a Costco member for 30+ years. I've also been a BJ member for a year (didn't renew) and I'm an active Sam's member (2+ years) but used to "borrow" a friends membership for a decade before that.

Costco is unparalleled. You're essentially getting only top quality goods at a great price. They're return policy is probably the best in the US among all retailers. They will take anything back without question in most cases.

Sam's is good. Definitely better than 5-10 years ago. They sell good stuff but sometimes a little lower end things than Costco. When the Costco gets built here we might keep our Sam's membership for the great car wash and a few meat items that we like to buy sometimes at Sam's.

BJ's is like a mini version of both. Much less food selection. I don't see how they will survive here when the Costco opens up.

You nailed it. We have both a Costco and Sam’s membership because the clubs have different items. We had a BJ’s membership but didn’t renew it.

[JerryLBell]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Thank you for all of your insights - if Costco offers a "free" membership like BJ's did we'll try it for a year

Don't hold your breath on getting a "free" membership. Costco charges a fixed markup on all their sales and that markup is just enough to cover the cost of doing business (the building, the employees, power, etc.). ALL of their annual profit comes from the sales of memberships. Expecting them to give those away is like saying, "I'll only buy from store X if they make absolutely no money from my purchases."

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by biker1

By your own admission, you don’t regularly shop there so you probably don’t really know about the quantities. I guess you could consider buying 4 tires at their auto center to be buying in a large quantity ;-). There are many other available items that nobody would consider a “large quantity”. It is a good place to buy a TV, and other electronics, and you don’t have to buy a dozen TVs.

I guess if I needed all of these things in the same year, I'd save a lot on top of my membership fee by buying them all from Costco. But how often do you need a new TV? How often do you need 4 new tires? I've had my current car since 2003 and I've had to buy new tires once in this 22-year period. Hardly worth paying how much, every year, for 22 years, just to get a deal on tires?

We got one new TV in the past 30 years, and we got it from Best Buy. No membership fee required.

Some people will save by buying big-ticket items from big-box stores, because they buy these big-ticket items often, or wait til they need a bunch of them and get them all in the same year. Some people - will not.

There's also the travel time involved. If you live within 10 minutes of the place it's awesome. If it takes more than a half-hour in each direction, not so awesome.

[mkjelenbaas]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

I've been members of all three. Sam's Club and BJ's are pretty good, having cheaper gasoline and pretty good quality meats (in bulk, of course!). Costco is usually bigger with more choices, perhaps a shade lower in prices. What I notice mostly is how enthusiastic and helpful Costco employees generally are in comparison to the employees at the other two. I guess you get that when you pay a better wage, offer better benefits and don't try to keep employees under 40 hours a week to keep them from getting benefits. Or maybe it's the fact that the CEO of the company makes something like 7 times as much as the average employee (I may have the number wrong; it's from a special I saw on them years ago) instead of 50 or 100 times as much.

Some people just freakin' LOVE the $1.50 quarter-pound hot dog-and-a-soda deal that Costco has had for years. I tried it once and I thought it was a tube full of gas instead of meat. But then, I'm annoyingly particular about hot dogs.

I don’t know if comparing the CEO pay to the average employee is rational - o suspect the CEO has a bit more responsibility along with a better resume - just saying.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

Don't hold your breath on getting a "free" membership. Costco charges a fixed markup on all their sales and that markup is just enough to cover the cost of doing business (the building, the employees, power, etc.). ALL of their annual profit comes from the sales of memberships. Expecting them to give those away is like saying, "I'll only buy from store X if they make absolutely no money from my purchases."

If I could get a 30-day free trial membership, or even a free 2-day pass (expiring in 30 days or whatever) I'd totally check it out and maybe buy some of their own branded products to see what the fuss is about.

But because BJ's is the closest gas station to me by golf cart and I use normal unleaded gas in my golf cart, BJ's will be the most cost-efficient option for me. Costco would need to be remarkable to justify my paying for membership there. Something to make me want to drive all the way over there at least once a month to get things that I've never needed from Costco before and therefore haven't ever missed.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by JRcorvette

In my opinion you can get a higher quality of items at Costco. As for food about the same but I believe that Costco has better meats. I don’t care of BJ’s at all and it is way too far from us. They picked an awful location.

They picked a GREAT location, and they have a steady business from neighboring towns since they're one of only two big-box stores in the vicinity. They don't service just Villagers, they service Stonegate and all the other retirement communities north and east of 441, Weirsdale, Sunset Harbor, Lake Weir, all of Summerfield, and Bellview.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by asianthree

BJ’s has some deals, But one has to clip coupons, in the beginning no signage that that item was less cost with a stupid coupon. Once I returned home opened the ad book, I could have saved $36) Not a fan of their deli products, basically 4 items at snack bar. Good thing, nobody in the store and less lines for gas. Best thing for BJs WaWa’s in right in front. It was a one and done.

I have belonged to both Sam’s and Costco since opening in our area. Sam’s always easy to find parking, less people, our business membership got us in at 7am. Sams has certain items not found at any other box stores. Save on pets food, I like to buy just one meat, poultry, or seafood item counter. I buy their Salmon, office supplies. I don’t eat anything at their snack bar. Staff is few and far between if you need help it’s not at Sam’s.

Costco best return policy than any retailer. My Dyson ($450) stopped working at 15 months. I asked at the desk if still available. Desk looked up my account saw the purchase, told me to return for full refund, and shipped same item to my house. I like their chicken, salad and soup better than Sam’s. We use their optometry department 2 pairs of glasses a year, buy tires, batteries for all 3 cars. Most of the items I buy aren’t bulk that some seem to think. Over 20 years, never paid a yearly membership, because my year end check is more than membership fee. I grab their chicken Caesar salad and frozen latte at the snack bar, on my way out to fuel up for the ride home. Their customer service is worth every penny.We had 7 Costco within 20-55 minutes from our house. So no matter where I had to be there was a Costco near by.

If I had to only pick one it would be Costco. (I buy my eggs at TJ’s if farm is not available)

"Over 20 years, never paid a yearly membership, because my year end check is more than membership fee." Please explain what you mean by this. Tx

[jacqueline larsen]

Superior products.

[Beats]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

I have never been in a Costco store, but many on this forum wax lyrical about them.

What are the main differences between a Costco and the other two?

Thank you

First off NO Coupons, Costco stopped that years ago with the mindset that you are already a member and why do you need them, and when Costco has things on special they actually have that merchandise, they have far more inventory.
The clothes are better, quality and again inventory.
The prepared food, cakes, produce are just far better quality.
The meats are far better quality, a it more expensive but just plain better.
The sample station at BJ's is a joke, Costco is the real deal.
Their are actual people checking you out, not one or two people.
Go see for yourself, you will never got back to BJ's and my prediction is BJ's will be out of business in a year or two.

[maistocars]

Better quality products at great prices.