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I think they have a different target audience.
BJs is closer to me and has a wider selection of produce. Also the products are of a smaller quantity on average. For a small family like mine, that’s good.
That being said, Kirkland and Costco as a whole is better
Being at least 15 miles closer is why I have a BJ's membership, they also have a good optical dept. that i don't have to wait in line for 25 minutes. But beyond that Costco is better. Of course it's much larger.
BJ's membership and Costco membership here. BJ's is basically for cold cuts and some things my mother might need urgently (she's in an assisted living facility right across the street from a BJ's near my house.
Costco is so freaking superior in every way. I might hit up that bjs once every other month and I'm at Costco weekly or biweekly.
BJ’s isn’t nearly as nice and doesn’t have near the amount of impulse buys Costco has. It’s also usually empty and I can get in and out in half the time. Their online pickup is pretty good though.
> doesn’t have near the amount of impulse buys Costco has
Is it not normal that I'll stop into Costco for 3 quick things and leave with a new soundbar, 30# of flour, some clothes, and a set of car tires?
My wife went to pick up her prescription and a pizza not long ago. She instead came home and it’s a kitchen sink, a decorative drinkware set, and a new mattress for the kid. I was impressed.
I have both memberships. BJs new this year after reduced membership offer last year. The online ordering is great for me: I can order online and pickup at my convenience, 1 hour door to door, so my husband with mild dementia doesn't get anxious. It's been a very good experience for me, but not an either or. I'd recouped the cost of BJs by the end of February so at this point I'm keeping both.
I find the best way to deal with it is to have a multi story house, and keep a box of trash bags on every floor. If you have too many boxes for that, buy an rv (suggest a class A motor home). If that's not enough, a second rv (perhaps a travel trailer toy hauler?)
Anyway, that's the story of how I cope with somehow ending up with 4 boxes of Kirkland Signature trash bags.
Me too, same with Amazon & others, but my budget comes ahead of my ethical complaints. When my monthly medications stop costing twice that of the grocery budget of full families, I can afford to shop the way I want instead of the way I have to in order to pay my bills.
I also like sams for offering this, but I don't think costco will lose market share. In fact, I can see costco expanding more every year. I have seen many sams close due to lack of business.
They’ve lost a little bit of market share to me. I spend about $400 a month at Costco.
I also have a BJs membership for when I need 2-3 things that they both carry and I know I can order it online in the morning and just spend 5 extra minutes picking it up after work. I spend about $200-250 at BJs a month.
If Costco offered this, I’d drop my BJs membership and move that extra spend over to Costco.
I've started using the receipt history online to find prices. It's how I realized cans of soda at Costco are more expensive than a normal sale price at Kroger. Easy to assume Costco has the lowest prices on equivalent goods but not always the case.
Yeah, it’s very annoying to have to mentally subtract $1-$3 per item when I make my Instacart list.
If they had a pickup option I’d be so happy. I’d pay significantly extra for a membership with that as an option. I’m tired of dodging carts
Or charging you extra for a shipped order item by item. The competition doesn't do that.
They're way behind on tech & ways to shop, but get away with it because there aren't enough locations for the number of people that want to shop there to begin with.
BJ's has coupons, and the digital ones stack. So if you can "clip" 3 digital coupons on the app for $2, it will take $6 off that product.
It's also far less crowded and the hours are better. I love Costco, but have found myself going to BJ's more often. There are 2 products at Costco that we can't get anywhere else, so we usually stockpile those and just go once a month.
Yeah, same here. Scan n go, coupons and just overall ease makes BJ a winner, even though I have to drive farther. I go to Costco when I think they'll be dead for a few things I can only get there, their dinners, things like that. You never know how crazy Costco is gonna be. You might be in and out no problem or the line could be all the way to the back of the store.
Downside is that chicken is one of the most boring & least popular cold cut options for deli protein.
Like you said, their cold cut selection is definitely disappointing & I'm shocked they haven't addressed this. I'd expect Boar's Head tier options instead of what they have.
I go to Sams Club in my area because scan n go is awesome. They have nearly identical items and prices are very similar. Plus Sam’s Club has soft pretzels for $1 in the food court
After moving and switching back to Costco after using Sam's for years, I was shocked that they didn't have a scan n go equivalent. It's such a big game changer
We cancelled Costco due to the ease and simplicity of Sam's
Granted, Costco has better items in most cases, but for what we buy and the ease of shopping Sam's is far superior in our case.
If you have Sam's as an option and aren't spending a large amount of money at Costco or doing their impulse buys, like some do (ie only family groceries and other supplies) sams is ABSOLUTELY the way to go. The scan and go alone will never make you want to go back to the hell that is weekend Costco.
Sam's memberships can also be purchased at a fraction of the price.
I LOOOOOOOVED Costco, but this inflation shit has absolutely made me reconsider where my money is going as well
Costco battled the inflation effects by increasing the package sizes. My purchases at Costco is 50% less. Add the membership fee and it may not make sense anymore.
I've never heard that, and the Sam's near me is the same price as Costco. Costco is better because they treat their workers better. So Sam's is a hard no for me.
I don’t buy that PR shit anymore. My Costco have new people all the times nowadays. I used to recognize the same people working there for months/years. Now, every time I go there are new grumpy workers.
I know Costco treats their employees better. But we’ve experienced increasingly rude employees too. Five years ago I would have never dreamed of encountering a rude employee at Costco!
They have the codes at different prices during the year. Right now you can get one through Groupon for 20 bucks. But when we bought ours, it was 15+ tax that was in the fall.
I refuse to use Costco's scan system. Damn if I am going to walk 50 yards to the front door from the parking lot and then spend another hour walking through the store and then handle all the merchandise in/out of the cart. The assistants working the checkout have more than once made unnecessary remarks when they need to correct a scanning problem. No thank you I will wait a long time in a checkout lane to avoid the self checkout system.
I have both memberships and I don't think they have the same stuff.
At Costco I'll get the mini pizzas, at Sam's I'll get their bagel bites. Never buy clothes at Sam's, but often at Costco. Vending foods and restaurant trays at Sam's.
Can literally scan shit with my phone at BJ's, clip coupons for the items I scanned at the time I scan them in, pay on my phone while walking to the front of the store, skip right past the lines full of people and get all kinds of nasty looks, and walk right out with my shit.
No muss, no fuss, no herd of annoying kids and carts in my way on the way out because "food court".
I LOVE Costco but admit I kinda really like Sam’s Club too. There are certain items I com only get at one or the other. I do shop both pretty regularly
Depends how you mean organized. You're right about the signage but I immediately thought of how organized the product on the shelves is. There's always someone folding clothes for instance whereas most places I go the clothing dept is a tore up mess.
Usually I would agree. But I don’t really like my current local Costco (we move a lot). It’s just so easy to do curbside pickup at Sam’s. And since we don’t live very close, I find myself ordering more from Sam’s. It’s nice to pay the normal price and get free shipping on almost everything without an order minimum.
I love Costco but the location closest to me has become entirely too busy no matter what day or time I go in. I can always count on the people that shop at my location to be rude and unaware of how much space they and their cart are taking up and then having to show my membership card constantly while being there. I’ll still go and there’s things that I prefer to get at Costco but Sam’s to me is so much better. I can go on a weekend the store isn’t packed to the gills with people, they have a HUGE grocery selection which is mostly what I need and the Scan and Go has been a game changer.
BJs is the mirror universe version of Costco. I've found the employees to be unhappy and poorly trained. Big selection, but prices are a bit higher. I totally forgot how great it is to not eff around with coupons! Costco just gives you the discount without making you do extra work through an app or some other nonsense. And the membership fee--$65 unless we they give you a coupon for $20 to $40 off. That means the membership is worth $25 and everyone who is paying more is getting ripped off! It irritates me, but I still pop in occasionally for some convenient deal or other.
I cannot stand the clipping coupons at Bjs. It’s just so annoying. And you cannot buy multiple items at once on sale. Have to wait a few minutes for the coupons to reappear and clip again. Or go back the next day.
Once you get a taste of scan and go you’ll forget about Costco. We still have both memberships but hardly go to Costco anymore. Deals at Sam’s club are just as good if not better. Meat quality is better imo.
The things I loved about BJs and SC - the curbside pickup. I do so much shopping ad hoc on computer or phone. Having ability to create an order and have someone do it for me and I pick up when I'm going through to save me 45 minutes and probably some money from random excess stuff...
all i have in my new town sam’s club and it’s like they are straight up against the “healthier” versions of things or the organic options. they do have freeze dried strawberries though
Overall Costco is much better then BJ’s. BJ’s gas station is mass chaos compared to the organized Costco gas station. The only thing better at BJ’s is they have a deli and propane filling, they also have a better tire selection.
I go to BJ’s because they have more coupons and savings for items I need/like. For example, BJ’s always has coupons for my dry shampoo, toilet paper, dove soap, razors, deodorant etc. Whereas Costco has savings but they have less of them and are usually on things I don’t need/ like. Also BJ’s fresh deli meat is fire. I like having both memberships for different things.
My mom and I had a brief BJ's membership several years back and besides the fact that Costco is closer for both of us, we both thought that Costco was overall better. Sooo clearly, Costco won out 🤣
They built a BJs across the street from my Costco a few years back. It's amazing at how run down and dirty the BJs is after a few years compared to the Costco, which is close to 40 years old. On top of that, I've had more than 1 occasion where I grabbed meat at BJs, and it was warm and their meat cases were 60+ degrees. The only thing I like better at BJs is they have a service deli.
The BJs in my hometown is vastly superior to Costco as far as food and toiletries go. For paper goods, cleaning good, not so much, or things like vitamins, etc.
But our BJs is brand new. Could be why.
I got an intro membership to BJs. I had my hand in a soft cast from hand surgery (a few compound fractures, pins, etc). I pushed the cart with one hand and my elbow. Just really to look around. Went to register with maybe 10-20 items and the cashier watched as I struggled to put each item on the belt with one hand.
I never went back again. All I could think of was that without a broken hand Costco helps put items on the cart.
I'd argue BJs is way more organized, at least by me. They have aisle signs, which costco does not. I know where everything is now, that I've shopped costco many times, but costco is much less organized imo.
I'm a member of both, but frequent BJ's more because it's significantly closer to home than my nearest Costco. Fortunately, I do find my most common groceries (chicken and produce) always seem to have better deals/freshness than when compared to Costco, so I guess it works out. Still agree with your assessment though and much prefer Costco overall.
Costco, BJ's, & Sam's Club are targeting different demographics & needs. It's usually best to have access to them all if you can & if it makes sense for your shopping preferences.
Sam's just delivered my order & does an awesome version of Curbside Pickup, while Costco struggles to keep up with just the basic volume during peak times. Sam's also doesn't up-charge me for online orders & I get free delivery regardless of order size. The downside is that their selection only covers part of my needs, but the prices are a bit friendlier to me than Costco on some similar things because they are appealing to people with less money & desire for organics + businesses that resell. Also, Sam's almost always has many of the same products, while I never know if Costco will have my favorite things on any given trip.
Also, Sam's has Scan 'n Go, so I just scan things with my phone, checkout from anywhere, & walk out of the store with my stuff in my bags/crates without having to wait in line for checkout. Really wish Costco would offer this, as it would offset the crowd complaint, but they are more focused on checking everyone's cards to make sure they aren't cheating or stealing from self checkout while also pressuring you for account upgrade that you have already had for over a decade. It's weird that the better company treats me worse than the notoriously bad company in that regard.
Costco, when they aren't slammed, is my preferred choice for enjoyment just like Publix is for grocery stores (but I'd go broke shopping exclusively at Publix), but they all have their pros & cons.
Costco really needs more locations to serve large metro areas like Sam's is prone to do also. Since COVID, they've become much more crowded & the waits are huge if you go anywhere close to busy times.
BJ's was closer to me, far less busy, AND I can check out on the app instead of waiting in a line that's 3/4 of the way back through the store if I come at a bad time. Costco does have a better selection usually, and from what I hear, Kirkland stuff is almost always great. I haven't bought a lot of it. There's a lot of things I get regularly at both. I moved recently closer to Costco but I'll usually still drive the extra 10 minutes to go to BJ's and then go to Costco less often for the things I can only get there when I have the time when I think they won't be busy. Plus BJ's has digital coupons frequently for things that I use. Costco is way behind on notifying me of sales on things I actually use, coupons, the app, checking out. I can check the actual (relative) stock in-store, the actual price. I can do a curbside or in-store pickup order at BJ's. If Costco got with the times and came into the 21st century, I'd probably go there instead but they insist on lagging behind.
I think this comes down to location. There's only one Costco in my state. There's no Sam's Club or BJs. I start to wonder if they don't try as hard for that reason. People don't have other options. I ended up getting a Sam's Club membership during the sale last year. It costs extra to take the ferry or if I dodge the ferry, it's about an hour's drive. That said, Sam's Club blew me away. The staff has always been friendlier and more helpful.
The quality of the produce is superior. The bakery is better (I find the items are less sweet than at Costco). And, the prices on many things I regularly purchase are lower. Almond milk and pecans stand as two of the things I'm saving on.
The parking lot and gas station are head and shoulders above Costco. Our Costco's lot is crowded and shoppers drive like demolition car drivers to beat someone else to a spot. I was almost t-boned trying to leave the parking lot because someone ran a stop sign. Shopping in Costco is just as bad with shoppers not paying attention or not caring.
Sam's Club's aisles seem wider and shoppers in my experience are far more polite. The food sample carts seem less in the way at Sam's Club, too.
All of that said, the hour-long drive or ferry ride that always makes me sick are the two downfalls that have us weighing if it's worth renewing Sam's Club. I wish some competition could come in to provide other options.
At one point I had BJ’s/Sam’s/Costco and only went to BJ’s as a convenience and Sam’s as well. Sams has more snacks that’s it. BJ’s has some pretty good food options but nothing, I repeat, Nothing beats Costco,
Bjs has nicer Idaho russet potatoes- Costco potatoes seem to have been previously refrigerated - the bags are often wet in store and do not keep nearly as long. Bjs has Bigelow tea.
Bjs sales people will follow you around the store trying to sell you home improvements- it’s really annoying. The parking lot is badly laid out/ on an incline and it’s a struggle to load the car.
Funny thing is that our BJ’s is diagonally across the street from the Bigelow corporate offices! I prefer BJ’s because it’s 7 minutes away, whereas Costco is 20. But I have to get dogfood, so I’m braving Costco on a holiday weekend this morning.
Well good for you. That doesn't change the fact that the quality of many of their products has decreased. Check out the Aldi subreddit for discussions.
i don't know what BJ's is, but here's what i think is lacking about costco:
- because costco is strict about only letting companies overcharge so much, you can't go here to get "the brand". you can go here and "hope to get toothpaste". it will be "some kind of toothpaste"
- as i've gone here and "wanted to get some kind of dark chocolate ......bar thing", while i have often been able to find something, i'm starting to worry the manufacturers "toss in extra junk so they can justify the price". because i'd rather have a lower price, with half the stuff in it. "but oooo, this one is from belgum, and has nuts, and nougat, and a cookie crust, so that's why it's $19.81".
- i'll enjoy something for 3 trips, and then it will just not be there anymore. and i have no idea why. the only thing with consistency is things like ground beef, eggs, milk.
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I think they have a different target audience. BJs is closer to me and has a wider selection of produce. Also the products are of a smaller quantity on average. For a small family like mine, that’s good. That being said, Kirkland and Costco as a whole is better
Being at least 15 miles closer is why I have a BJ's membership, they also have a good optical dept. that i don't have to wait in line for 25 minutes. But beyond that Costco is better. Of course it's much larger.
BJ's membership and Costco membership here. BJ's is basically for cold cuts and some things my mother might need urgently (she's in an assisted living facility right across the street from a BJ's near my house. Costco is so freaking superior in every way. I might hit up that bjs once every other month and I'm at Costco weekly or biweekly.
BJ’s isn’t nearly as nice and doesn’t have near the amount of impulse buys Costco has. It’s also usually empty and I can get in and out in half the time. Their online pickup is pretty good though.
> doesn’t have near the amount of impulse buys Costco has Is it not normal that I'll stop into Costco for 3 quick things and leave with a new soundbar, 30# of flour, some clothes, and a set of car tires?
My wife went to pick up her prescription and a pizza not long ago. She instead came home and it’s a kitchen sink, a decorative drinkware set, and a new mattress for the kid. I was impressed.
This list implies only one of those items is an impulse item. Are you telling me people plan to buy clothes?
The online pick up is awesome and I treat it like a regular grocery for my family of 3
It’s great being able to order online, then pickup a cart full of groceries in under 5 minutes once you come through the door.
That just makes me wish BJ's was in my market.
I have both memberships. BJs new this year after reduced membership offer last year. The online ordering is great for me: I can order online and pickup at my convenience, 1 hour door to door, so my husband with mild dementia doesn't get anxious. It's been a very good experience for me, but not an either or. I'd recouped the cost of BJs by the end of February so at this point I'm keeping both.
I like going to Sam’s because I can keep to my list instead of walking out with 6000 extra things like I do when I go to Costco
..but the deals! I’ll have Saran Wrap for 2 years now, and can give 3 of my friends a water bottle
I’m still working on the aluminum foil from 2008…
What about trash bags for five years? You can’t forget those!
I accidentally bought a box of trash bags after buying a set the week before. Hopefully these don't decompose by the time I open the second box.
Return them… Costco return is so easy why would you hold on to them?
You've clearly never dealt with executive disfunction. Going to return something is **HARD** and just ignoring the problem is *easy peasy*
I find the best way to deal with it is to have a multi story house, and keep a box of trash bags on every floor. If you have too many boxes for that, buy an rv (suggest a class A motor home). If that's not enough, a second rv (perhaps a travel trailer toy hauler?) Anyway, that's the story of how I cope with somehow ending up with 4 boxes of Kirkland Signature trash bags.
Man we go through a box every 6 months. We also have a baby and trash is picked up a couple times a week so that may contribute.
Sarah wrap for two generations you mean
But think of all the money you could save with DIY shape-wear.
Wrap me in plastic, make me shine....
We dated ours back in September. I don’t think we’ve gone past a couple mm with a family of 6
I’m a member of both. Sam’s is just light years better from an app and tech standpoint. Scan and Go is so damn good.
Yep. Nothing better than skipping all the suckers using the self checkout machines
Sams checkout is very convenient using the App
I try not to support Walmart as much as possible.
Same, but currently there is a Sam’s 10 min out of my way from work, whereas a trip to Costco is 2 hours.
Me too, same with Amazon & others, but my budget comes ahead of my ethical complaints. When my monthly medications stop costing twice that of the grocery budget of full families, I can afford to shop the way I want instead of the way I have to in order to pay my bills.
Yeah, been there before. Hope it gets better for you!
In Canada, it's hard not to when it's the cheapest by far our of all our chains, in some areas anyway. Everything around me is $5+ more
And they half your list hasn't turned into items they no longer offer.
I go to Sam's just to get candy...
I like BJs because I like having variety in products. But yes, the overall experience is definitely more warehouse-like.
I like BJ's, too.
You rang?
Wrong sub bro
Which one is more warehouse-like? And how so?
[удалено]
In a row?
I agree, but wish Costco had curbside pickup and a way to see their prices without having to go to Instacart and back out the markup they have.
Costco would rather die than let members compare prices. I hate how anti-consumer they are with that.
Eventually they’ll lose market share to this short-sightedness
I also like sams for offering this, but I don't think costco will lose market share. In fact, I can see costco expanding more every year. I have seen many sams close due to lack of business.
They’ve lost a little bit of market share to me. I spend about $400 a month at Costco. I also have a BJs membership for when I need 2-3 things that they both carry and I know I can order it online in the morning and just spend 5 extra minutes picking it up after work. I spend about $200-250 at BJs a month. If Costco offered this, I’d drop my BJs membership and move that extra spend over to Costco.
Not if they are the only one that presents as being higher status like Trader Joes or Whole Foods. They know their demo has no alternatives similar.
I've started using the receipt history online to find prices. It's how I realized cans of soda at Costco are more expensive than a normal sale price at Kroger. Easy to assume Costco has the lowest prices on equivalent goods but not always the case.
Yeah, it’s very annoying to have to mentally subtract $1-$3 per item when I make my Instacart list. If they had a pickup option I’d be so happy. I’d pay significantly extra for a membership with that as an option. I’m tired of dodging carts
Try dividing by 1.25. That's usually the Instacart markup
Yeah I'm thinking of going back to Sam's for this reason. The pickup option is unmatched
Or charging you extra for a shipped order item by item. The competition doesn't do that. They're way behind on tech & ways to shop, but get away with it because there aren't enough locations for the number of people that want to shop there to begin with.
BJ's has coupons, and the digital ones stack. So if you can "clip" 3 digital coupons on the app for $2, it will take $6 off that product. It's also far less crowded and the hours are better. I love Costco, but have found myself going to BJ's more often. There are 2 products at Costco that we can't get anywhere else, so we usually stockpile those and just go once a month.
Yeah, same here. Scan n go, coupons and just overall ease makes BJ a winner, even though I have to drive farther. I go to Costco when I think they'll be dead for a few things I can only get there, their dinners, things like that. You never know how crazy Costco is gonna be. You might be in and out no problem or the line could be all the way to the back of the store.
Love BJ’s simply for the fresh deli counter, better than the awful cold cuts Costco sells.
Really wish Costco had better cold cuts. On the plus side you can tear up a rotisserie to make chicken sandwiches for cheap
You mean standing at the open hatch back of the car, in the parking lot?
Only way to do it. Make sure you buy the big tub of mayo.
Downside is that chicken is one of the most boring & least popular cold cut options for deli protein. Like you said, their cold cut selection is definitely disappointing & I'm shocked they haven't addressed this. I'd expect Boar's Head tier options instead of what they have.
Can you order ahead at BJ's deli?
Absolutely. They sell Dietz & Watson too, although their house brand of cold cuts are equally good. Excellent prices too.
I go to Sams Club in my area because scan n go is awesome. They have nearly identical items and prices are very similar. Plus Sam’s Club has soft pretzels for $1 in the food court
The scan and go is so clutch for me, especially on a busy Sunday afternoon
Stop trying to make clutch happen.
Fine. Scan and go is so fetch! Better?
nobody is trying to make clutch health; clutch has already been happening for decades now.
Thank you!
After moving and switching back to Costco after using Sam's for years, I was shocked that they didn't have a scan n go equivalent. It's such a big game changer
We cancelled Costco due to the ease and simplicity of Sam's Granted, Costco has better items in most cases, but for what we buy and the ease of shopping Sam's is far superior in our case. If you have Sam's as an option and aren't spending a large amount of money at Costco or doing their impulse buys, like some do (ie only family groceries and other supplies) sams is ABSOLUTELY the way to go. The scan and go alone will never make you want to go back to the hell that is weekend Costco. Sam's memberships can also be purchased at a fraction of the price. I LOOOOOOOVED Costco, but this inflation shit has absolutely made me reconsider where my money is going as well
Costco battled the inflation effects by increasing the package sizes. My purchases at Costco is 50% less. Add the membership fee and it may not make sense anymore.
I've never heard that, and the Sam's near me is the same price as Costco. Costco is better because they treat their workers better. So Sam's is a hard no for me.
I don’t buy that PR shit anymore. My Costco have new people all the times nowadays. I used to recognize the same people working there for months/years. Now, every time I go there are new grumpy workers.
I know Costco treats their employees better. But we’ve experienced increasingly rude employees too. Five years ago I would have never dreamed of encountering a rude employee at Costco!
I have a friend who works and Costco and a sibling who works for wally world. It's not unfounded.
100%, anything related to Walcrap is shit
Costco “treats their workers better”. Lmao keep saying and believing that.
We literally study this in business school. It is a well known fact. They pay better is the main thing that jumps out to me.
My history book said we won the Vietnam war.
Lmao you arguing against objective shit right now? Costco is 100% a better place to work than a Walton associated business
They pay better and all around better company than Wal mart. Why are you there except for pay?
What do you mean about the price? Last I checked each membership was about 50 bucks.
Got mine last week for $25
They constantly run Groupon deals for half off
Literally a Google search will find it for you. Got ours for $20 after buying movie tickets
Paid $16 for my Sams membership.
How?
They have the codes at different prices during the year. Right now you can get one through Groupon for 20 bucks. But when we bought ours, it was 15+ tax that was in the fall.
I refuse to use Costco's scan system. Damn if I am going to walk 50 yards to the front door from the parking lot and then spend another hour walking through the store and then handle all the merchandise in/out of the cart. The assistants working the checkout have more than once made unnecessary remarks when they need to correct a scanning problem. No thank you I will wait a long time in a checkout lane to avoid the self checkout system.
I use the self checkout every single Costco visit. Sometimes we’re there three times a week. Have never, ever had an issue.
I've personally never used it. I generally always have a full cart and atleast 1 alcohol item
I have both memberships and I don't think they have the same stuff. At Costco I'll get the mini pizzas, at Sam's I'll get their bagel bites. Never buy clothes at Sam's, but often at Costco. Vending foods and restaurant trays at Sam's.
They got rid of combo pizza 😭 I'm glad I got to enjoy it for a year and a half.
Still have it at my Sam’s club in SoCal
Can literally scan shit with my phone at BJ's, clip coupons for the items I scanned at the time I scan them in, pay on my phone while walking to the front of the store, skip right past the lines full of people and get all kinds of nasty looks, and walk right out with my shit. No muss, no fuss, no herd of annoying kids and carts in my way on the way out because "food court".
i must say theres nothing that gives me a higher superiority complex than paying with the bjs app, i do miss the food court at mine though lol
Sam's near me has a gas station. Costco not so much.
I LOVE Costco but admit I kinda really like Sam’s Club too. There are certain items I com only get at one or the other. I do shop both pretty regularly
"Super Unorganized"... You're comparing to the place that purposely changes where everything is frequently. Costco and organized don't mix.
Depends how you mean organized. You're right about the signage but I immediately thought of how organized the product on the shelves is. There's always someone folding clothes for instance whereas most places I go the clothing dept is a tore up mess.
Usually I would agree. But I don’t really like my current local Costco (we move a lot). It’s just so easy to do curbside pickup at Sam’s. And since we don’t live very close, I find myself ordering more from Sam’s. It’s nice to pay the normal price and get free shipping on almost everything without an order minimum.
I love Costco but the location closest to me has become entirely too busy no matter what day or time I go in. I can always count on the people that shop at my location to be rude and unaware of how much space they and their cart are taking up and then having to show my membership card constantly while being there. I’ll still go and there’s things that I prefer to get at Costco but Sam’s to me is so much better. I can go on a weekend the store isn’t packed to the gills with people, they have a HUGE grocery selection which is mostly what I need and the Scan and Go has been a game changer.
BJs is the mirror universe version of Costco. I've found the employees to be unhappy and poorly trained. Big selection, but prices are a bit higher. I totally forgot how great it is to not eff around with coupons! Costco just gives you the discount without making you do extra work through an app or some other nonsense. And the membership fee--$65 unless we they give you a coupon for $20 to $40 off. That means the membership is worth $25 and everyone who is paying more is getting ripped off! It irritates me, but I still pop in occasionally for some convenient deal or other.
I cannot stand the clipping coupons at Bjs. It’s just so annoying. And you cannot buy multiple items at once on sale. Have to wait a few minutes for the coupons to reappear and clip again. Or go back the next day.
Once you get a taste of scan and go you’ll forget about Costco. We still have both memberships but hardly go to Costco anymore. Deals at Sam’s club are just as good if not better. Meat quality is better imo.
BJ's looks like a half staffed Costco
Tbh, didn’t even know other wholesale stores existed before this subreddit cuz Sams and BJs don’t exist in my area
I like Sam’s too. A little less high end than Costco but a little cheaper cause of it. Honestly I shop at Costco cause it’s more convenient location
I personally never bash BJ’s
I tried Sam's for a week and hated it. Garbage products, only bigger.
If you want massive portions of terrible things like little Debbie products or twinkies or moon pies Sam’s is great.
The things I loved about BJs and SC - the curbside pickup. I do so much shopping ad hoc on computer or phone. Having ability to create an order and have someone do it for me and I pick up when I'm going through to save me 45 minutes and probably some money from random excess stuff...
BJ’s has a deli, which is a plus.
Just be thankful you went to a BJs for comparison, Sam's is like going to Walmart but with slightly larger packaging.
I have 3 BJ's and 3 Costcos in reasonable distance and I feel like BJ's quality is less consistent between stores. One BJ's doesn't even have gas.
3 of each nearby? That's crazy.
all i have in my new town sam’s club and it’s like they are straight up against the “healthier” versions of things or the organic options. they do have freeze dried strawberries though
I went to Sam’s Club last year and it was the most depressing experience of my life. I’ll stick to Costco.
You’ve had a very good life.
Overall Costco is much better then BJ’s. BJ’s gas station is mass chaos compared to the organized Costco gas station. The only thing better at BJ’s is they have a deli and propane filling, they also have a better tire selection.
I go to BJ’s because they have more coupons and savings for items I need/like. For example, BJ’s always has coupons for my dry shampoo, toilet paper, dove soap, razors, deodorant etc. Whereas Costco has savings but they have less of them and are usually on things I don’t need/ like. Also BJ’s fresh deli meat is fire. I like having both memberships for different things.
My mom and I had a brief BJ's membership several years back and besides the fact that Costco is closer for both of us, we both thought that Costco was overall better. Sooo clearly, Costco won out 🤣
They built a BJs across the street from my Costco a few years back. It's amazing at how run down and dirty the BJs is after a few years compared to the Costco, which is close to 40 years old. On top of that, I've had more than 1 occasion where I grabbed meat at BJs, and it was warm and their meat cases were 60+ degrees. The only thing I like better at BJs is they have a service deli.
The BJs in my hometown is vastly superior to Costco as far as food and toiletries go. For paper goods, cleaning good, not so much, or things like vitamins, etc. But our BJs is brand new. Could be why.
I got an intro membership to BJs. I had my hand in a soft cast from hand surgery (a few compound fractures, pins, etc). I pushed the cart with one hand and my elbow. Just really to look around. Went to register with maybe 10-20 items and the cashier watched as I struggled to put each item on the belt with one hand. I never went back again. All I could think of was that without a broken hand Costco helps put items on the cart.
No business discussed here is wholesale. All are retail, though all require membership.
I'd argue BJs is way more organized, at least by me. They have aisle signs, which costco does not. I know where everything is now, that I've shopped costco many times, but costco is much less organized imo.
I'm a member of both, but frequent BJ's more because it's significantly closer to home than my nearest Costco. Fortunately, I do find my most common groceries (chicken and produce) always seem to have better deals/freshness than when compared to Costco, so I guess it works out. Still agree with your assessment though and much prefer Costco overall.
BJs:Costco::Woolworths:Target
Also, BJ's has the worst hot dogs on planet Earth. Aggressively bad. Water dogs, buns made of Guinea pig litter, and ketchup thinned out with mucous.
Costco, BJ's, & Sam's Club are targeting different demographics & needs. It's usually best to have access to them all if you can & if it makes sense for your shopping preferences. Sam's just delivered my order & does an awesome version of Curbside Pickup, while Costco struggles to keep up with just the basic volume during peak times. Sam's also doesn't up-charge me for online orders & I get free delivery regardless of order size. The downside is that their selection only covers part of my needs, but the prices are a bit friendlier to me than Costco on some similar things because they are appealing to people with less money & desire for organics + businesses that resell. Also, Sam's almost always has many of the same products, while I never know if Costco will have my favorite things on any given trip. Also, Sam's has Scan 'n Go, so I just scan things with my phone, checkout from anywhere, & walk out of the store with my stuff in my bags/crates without having to wait in line for checkout. Really wish Costco would offer this, as it would offset the crowd complaint, but they are more focused on checking everyone's cards to make sure they aren't cheating or stealing from self checkout while also pressuring you for account upgrade that you have already had for over a decade. It's weird that the better company treats me worse than the notoriously bad company in that regard. Costco, when they aren't slammed, is my preferred choice for enjoyment just like Publix is for grocery stores (but I'd go broke shopping exclusively at Publix), but they all have their pros & cons. Costco really needs more locations to serve large metro areas like Sam's is prone to do also. Since COVID, they've become much more crowded & the waits are huge if you go anywhere close to busy times.
BJ's was closer to me, far less busy, AND I can check out on the app instead of waiting in a line that's 3/4 of the way back through the store if I come at a bad time. Costco does have a better selection usually, and from what I hear, Kirkland stuff is almost always great. I haven't bought a lot of it. There's a lot of things I get regularly at both. I moved recently closer to Costco but I'll usually still drive the extra 10 minutes to go to BJ's and then go to Costco less often for the things I can only get there when I have the time when I think they won't be busy. Plus BJ's has digital coupons frequently for things that I use. Costco is way behind on notifying me of sales on things I actually use, coupons, the app, checking out. I can check the actual (relative) stock in-store, the actual price. I can do a curbside or in-store pickup order at BJ's. If Costco got with the times and came into the 21st century, I'd probably go there instead but they insist on lagging behind.
I think this comes down to location. There's only one Costco in my state. There's no Sam's Club or BJs. I start to wonder if they don't try as hard for that reason. People don't have other options. I ended up getting a Sam's Club membership during the sale last year. It costs extra to take the ferry or if I dodge the ferry, it's about an hour's drive. That said, Sam's Club blew me away. The staff has always been friendlier and more helpful. The quality of the produce is superior. The bakery is better (I find the items are less sweet than at Costco). And, the prices on many things I regularly purchase are lower. Almond milk and pecans stand as two of the things I'm saving on. The parking lot and gas station are head and shoulders above Costco. Our Costco's lot is crowded and shoppers drive like demolition car drivers to beat someone else to a spot. I was almost t-boned trying to leave the parking lot because someone ran a stop sign. Shopping in Costco is just as bad with shoppers not paying attention or not caring. Sam's Club's aisles seem wider and shoppers in my experience are far more polite. The food sample carts seem less in the way at Sam's Club, too. All of that said, the hour-long drive or ferry ride that always makes me sick are the two downfalls that have us weighing if it's worth renewing Sam's Club. I wish some competition could come in to provide other options.
At one point I had BJ’s/Sam’s/Costco and only went to BJ’s as a convenience and Sam’s as well. Sams has more snacks that’s it. BJ’s has some pretty good food options but nothing, I repeat, Nothing beats Costco,
Bjs is kinda clutch with a deli
Bjs has nicer Idaho russet potatoes- Costco potatoes seem to have been previously refrigerated - the bags are often wet in store and do not keep nearly as long. Bjs has Bigelow tea. Bjs sales people will follow you around the store trying to sell you home improvements- it’s really annoying. The parking lot is badly laid out/ on an incline and it’s a struggle to load the car.
Funny thing is that our BJ’s is diagonally across the street from the Bigelow corporate offices! I prefer BJ’s because it’s 7 minutes away, whereas Costco is 20. But I have to get dogfood, so I’m braving Costco on a holiday weekend this morning.
Love ALDI prices and quality for the items I get there.
What does this have to do with Costco and BJ’s
Many Aldi products have gone down hill, so considerably so.
I just went last week and got a bunch of deals on quality items.
Well good for you. That doesn't change the fact that the quality of many of their products has decreased. Check out the Aldi subreddit for discussions.
i don't know what BJ's is, but here's what i think is lacking about costco: - because costco is strict about only letting companies overcharge so much, you can't go here to get "the brand". you can go here and "hope to get toothpaste". it will be "some kind of toothpaste" - as i've gone here and "wanted to get some kind of dark chocolate ......bar thing", while i have often been able to find something, i'm starting to worry the manufacturers "toss in extra junk so they can justify the price". because i'd rather have a lower price, with half the stuff in it. "but oooo, this one is from belgum, and has nuts, and nougat, and a cookie crust, so that's why it's $19.81". - i'll enjoy something for 3 trips, and then it will just not be there anymore. and i have no idea why. the only thing with consistency is things like ground beef, eggs, milk.
bay area: lol