Sams Club has bicycles and other sporting goods stuff that I think BJs does not. I have not been to Costco in 20 years, but I think that they do have sporting goods.

Most people that shop at those stores are purchasing quality food items. Not anything you're going to find at Save-A-Lot or Walmart.

Does that make it a want instead of a need? I think it's ok for higher quality products being a need to some.

My former co-worker, a solid trustworthy guy told me about his father-in-law. His FIL was a meat salesman. Not a butcher, but a wholesale guy, like Santa Monica Seafood. They supply restaurants. He said there are absolutely quality differences between prime, choice, grade, etc. He said the 5-star restaurants, and some 4-star are getting their best stuff. The grocery stores usually got 3 star quality stuff. The other 3 and 2 star quality stuff went to lesser restaurants like chains (think: Chilis) and mom and pops. Places that offer the $10 sirloin steak.

He then told me, you know who else gets the top quality 5-star stuff. The very highest end stuff? Costco. I have been buying steaks, crab, lobster, ground beef, and ribs there ever since. Outstanding stuff, very fresh - not resealed and repacked like grocery stores might do as the meat turns gray.

Just throwing this out there.

I can say one thing, I don’t go to any of these stores for lunch or dinner so I do not care what there hot dogs are.

For 35 years I have just liked BJ’s better. It has always been a cleaner store and has the items I want.

Costco
 

I wonder how many south of 44 will ever go there. We currently use the Costco in Clermont because it’s a little less than a half hour drive. Also Traders isn’t far if we feel like the extra drive.

I think this Costco will be just as far?

I actually am a member of all of three. I buy gas at BJ's and some food at both. Costco is my favorite but a long drive right now. Costco has lots of options that are healthy and you do save money when buying in bulk. Their appliances are terrific and the warranty is second to none. BJ's is a wanna be, Sam's is blue collar and Costco is the leader of the pack. An opinion from a member of all.

I spent many years going to stockyards, then slaughter house. Learn quickly beef grades, and what to look for. Most of Our beef, pork, comes from family farm. Raised, grass feed, then off the butcher (learned young not to name stock) then family picks up their pack. Rarely do we eat beef out or buy in grocery. Product is just disappointing. I find our pork not that much different than some grocery, except for bacon. Ours is smoked with multiple wood combinations, along with brisket.

Costco has the best singing candles.

It’s amazing how much stuff can fit in a golf cart with a rear cargo carrier that fits into the golf club bag well and retention straps, the passenger seat and floor space, the accessories basket, the cooler, the overhead storage shelves, and the drivers lap. If it wasn’t for the tunnels, stuff could also get strapped to the roof.

Sounds fishy to me. So I asked my friend Google, "Who is the CEO of Costco?" Answer: Ron Vachris. Then I asked "What is Ron Vachris' salary?" Answer: His compensation package is more than 12 million dollars, according to a proxy statement filed with the SEC this month.

Maybe not quite as far for us. The Clermont Costco is 35 minutes for me, door to door. The new store will be a little less than that. But, even if it wasn't closer, it would be worth it just to stay off the darn turnpike.

OBB - there is every reason to be a member of Costco and dump the other 2.
The reasons are to numerous to mention and I won't even begin to attempt it.
To say it's inconvenient to the historic side is ... hard to believe, unless you're 100 and fearful of driving or something.

We bought our new Honda crv through Costco auto program. No haggle. Took 3500$ right off the top. No dealer cash add ons.

I use them for travel all the time. Save a ton on rental cars. Also book cruises through them. Our last cruise I got a 375$ cash card back after the cruise. We are also executive members and get 2 percent back on all we spend. Due to all the travel items I get more back each year than membership costs. Costco prepared food is also much better than the other 2.

Excellent post. I have been a member of all 3 but I am Newell so none are convenient except Sam's (my church is next door). I like each for different things but to me Costco is superior. I would likely still go to Clermont - but my work is in Buffalo Ridge.

It is odd that a poster won't begin to attempt to mention the reasons to choose Costco and dump the other 2 in a thread specifically created to gather any reasons why one should be chosen over the others.

We are a member of both. Not a member of BJ. Both are simular but offer some different items not found in the other. You can go in Costco for a look around before you sign up. You'll just have to go a decide for yourself. Good luck..as I mentioned, we're members of both.

Are the Costco online prices the same as the in-store prices? Sam's warns that they may not be but for any item I have checked, the prices are the same. I would like to get a feel for what the items I might buy would cost without having to walk the aisles at Costco.

I live 5 minutes by golf cart to BJ's. I live 3 minutes by car to BJ's. I get my gas at BJ's, which is either 3 or 5 minutes from home, thus saving lots of money throughout the year because it's less expensive than any other gas in the area, and takes less time to get there, thus saving money in gas use for the trip to fill it up.

It's also near Walmart, which is where I do most of my grocery shopping. So I can fill up the tank on the way to or from the supermarket at any time during the week.

I have no NEED to drive 40 minutes in each direction to fill up my tank, or to get a half pound of sliced ham, or a 4-pack of ground coffee bricks. And if I'm going to head in the direction of the new Costco, it'll be on a Tuesday, so I can get ground beef at FreshMarket for $3.99/lb in 1-pound packages.

So yes - it's an inconvenience. If I need gas for my car, I need to not have to waste over an hour's worth of gas round-trip just to get it.

I never need hotdogs, but if I WANT one, BJ's has them, there's a hotdog cart guy outside Lowe's, the new Crave hotdog joint just opened up near me, and I can always buy a package and make my own. No need to drive 40 minutes each way (by golf cart, 25 minutes by car) to get one.

There is nothing I /need/ from any big-box store, that I can't already get without a big-box store. Membership at Costco is $65/year, or $130/year for the upgraded membership. I don't save enough to justify the expense or the inconvenience of having to drive over an hour round-trip for the privilege.

As I said before - if I could get a day-pass, I'd absolutely give it a look. But the more people describe why they think it's so awesome, the more I'm convince it's not going to be something I'll need to pay extra to use.

We have been members of Sams for over 30 years and members of BJ about 3.

Like both for different reasons. Can get deli counter meats and cheese at BJ as well as knishes. Sams has wider selections and more choices for shirts and pants.

Never lived near Costco so never a member but have gone there with our kids who are both members.

Concerned about traffic but expect to join Costco when they open and probably will over time drop one of them.

I joined Sam's when we first moved in because we got that membership fee credited in store credit as a promotion, and there wasn't any indication that there'd be a BJ's in the area yet.

I really liked the place, liked the different prepared foods and butcher and seafood areas, the overall layout, and the variety of everything else. But I just didn't need stuff there often enough to justify having to take my car and not being able to take the golf cart, when I live within 2 miles of the place. I think I went shopping there twice the whole year. I found better prices for "bulk toilet paper" and for 6-packs of Pepsi at Walmart. You can't buy just a half gallon of milk, or just a single 8-oz package of cheese at these big-box stores, and I don't like throwing away food. My freezer has limited space, so I'm not going to buy a lot of perishable foods in large sizes and freeze them. So I have to get that stuff at Walmart anyway. I did end up using their pharmacy when I started needing periodontal and skin cancer surgeries, because Sam's was the closest pharmacy on the way back from each of those offices. But you don't have to be a member to use their pharmacy.

So - I let my membership expire and didn't renew. BJ's came around and I got free membership there, a discounted membership my second year. If I can keep getting discounted memberships I'll stick with BJ's. If not, I'll let that expire and not use any big-box store for awhile.

They're a nice option to have but definitely not a necessity around here, if you don't have a big family or a lot of storage space.

In order to make sense of shopping at Sams we purchased a big freezer to store stuff in our garage. Can buy fruits and veg in sizes that we can use up within a week so we usually will go to either Sams or BJ weekly.

Pricing is great for many things but certain items like TP not so great but convenient to bring home a case.

For citrus fruits, I pick them off the trees in the neighborhood (limes in my own back yard). I squeeze the lemon juice by hand and freeze it in an ice cube tray, it's great for making scampi all year 'round. Bananas seem to turn brown and mushy within 2 days of buying them, so I only buy 1-2 at a time. Unless I want to make banana bread. Then I'll buy a bunch and let them get mushy.

I try buying melon chunks because I know hubby likes them but he forgets we have them and they go bad and I end up throwing half the package away. So - more stuff I rarely buy, and only in very small quantities.

Veggies - I buy only what I'll consume within a few days for the same reason as the melon chunk situation. Walmart sells packages of 48 rolls of "soft and strong" toilet paper. Staples also sells large packages of it, and I usually use any credits I earn through their rewards program to get TP there (thus costing me absolutely nothing). I only need to buy TP 3-4 times a year and the Staples package fits perfectly in the cupboard in the master bathroom. For paper towels, I buy maybe one package of 12 rolls of the Walmart brand once a year.

Like I said - pretty much everything I need is at Walmart, and it's only a few minutes by golf cart from home.

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


We have also been members of each at one time or another. There are many similarities but Costco has been the clear winner for us. Stores are very clean, workers are more helpful and we like their selection (variety) better. Good wine selection and much better clothing too.
If you sign up for the executive membership you can get cash back if your spending for a year exceeds a certain amount. If you pay for one but find you don't go often enough, they will change it to a regular membership and credit the difference in membership fee back to you.
Electronics like computers and iPads (maybe TV's as well) automatically have an additional one year warranty.
We are current members and looking forward to the one coming to The Villages. We are south of 44 so it's only a few extra minute to get there versus Sam's and potentially quicker than going to BJ's.

Isn't Sam's just a Walmart on steroids?

We like Costco. The store is always clean. The employees are always helpful. One of the perks we like the most is booking our cruises through them. Not only do we get cash back on our Costco credit card but Costco kicks back roughly half of their commission in the form of a gift card. Our next cruise is getting us a $1,250 gift card.

One of my peeves about Sam’s is to get your deposit on 5 gallon water bottles you have to have your receipt and wait in line at the front desk with all the other people waiting there. At BJ’s you walk in with the empty bottle and they give you a 5.00 coupon right there.

We've tried both, Sam's is our preferred and the one we've had a membership the most. Both are getting too busy to offset the benefits. For some reason Sam's optical treats me the best.

Quality of the merchandise. Costco is #1 by far, then BJ’s, then Sam’s Club.

many reviews have been done and available on the internet, however to sum it up -

Sams is just a big wally world, products are far lower end in comparison
BJ's is the better house brand (see articles on who makes them for Costco and BJs), better in organics, and several reviews have them as the lowest price. Only 1 problem here, this BJs isn't all that it can be. I've been in larger and they are far far better.
Costco, some of the products as noted above are private label yet made by someone major. Pricing is higher that BJs on average .

for price and quality etc, BJs and Costco easily outrank Wallyworld.

Sams has scan and go. Thats a game changer for us.

I recently joined Sam's. How do you do scan and go?

Get the app and at the bottom will be an icon for "Scan & Go"

When you are ready, either while shopping or just before you leave, use your phone to scan each of the items you are buying. Follow the prompts to checkout and pay (usually with your stored credit card) then head for the door. There will be a QR code on your phone that the person at the door will scan, then they will likely scan three or four items in your cart and you're out the door.

Very easy and much faster than waiting in a checkout line.

So does BJ's.

So I have to connect my credit card to the app on my phone??
Also if I may ask. When I went to Sam's today and got gasoline it asked me about a car wash. Is the car wash free?
Thank You. :smiley:

Not a problem for me, I’m a “self-scan” virgin. I rarely shop on a hurry and don’t mind chatting in line.

Some people buy Ford, some Chevy !

Car wash is not free

Yes, was that strange or not ? Don't want to get too close to those "poor people", WOW ! Plus, do people actually "associate" with poor people in a store ? I thought people in all stores just walk around, back and forth, don't really get into is "poor" or not "poor". Strange remark for someone who probably lives right here in a middle class working class retirement community. Oh well.

Is there a link for this statement?

BJ’s offers a 2% cash incentive on their credit card so we use it for everything. We use it so much we didn’t pay for anything the last two times we went and we still have over $600 in credits.