HSinNH Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Which is your favorite and why (besides location)? TIA!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco, all the way for me. I had BJs for 3 months on a trial membership and did not renew. I had Sam's Club for a year and did not renew. Costco I have had since 1987 and have always renewed, even when I was single and had no kids! However, I did just get a Sam's membership as LivingSocial.com had a deal where you pay $45 to join and get a $20 Sam's gift card and a $20 food court voucher, making the membership $5. Sometimes I am over near the Sam's and just need to pick up a few items, but overall, I much prefer Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco, hands down. They have more of what I want to buy, and although it is not super convenient for me, I make the trek at least once a month to get certain items that we use a lot. I also get office supplies there, and we occasionally have bought tires, electronics, etc. At one point they were going to build one in a location that would have been extremely convenient for me, but the locals shot it down and the economy tanked, and that was that. I was sad. Sam's is more convenient, but I was very disappointed after trying them with a 30-day pass. I also belonged to B.J.'s some years ago when there was one near a weekly activity that we did, and I dropped it after a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. Sam's was not near me when we first joined and I don't "do" Wallmart anyway. BJs didn't have as much of what I wanted, but it's been years (16 or 17) since I've been inside. I get prescriptions, gas, tires, and glasses at Costco. In addition to the usual stuff. I don't think Sam's or BJs has gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. We moved and there is a BJs just 18 minutes away but I will still drive 30 minutes to Costco instead. I compared products and pricing and just didn't see enough reason to change from Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. They pay a living wage and give their employees health benefits. Plus, the products are great and they have an awesome return policy. You do need to know your prices, not everything is a deal. Sam's Club owned by Walmart and I will not support Walmart in any form BJ's-I do like that they will take mnf coupons (or at least they used to when we were members) but overall I prefer the costco experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. Great CS, great co. that treats their workers well, great products. I like that they carry some organics. I like their product selection more than Sam's as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. I have been to Sam's a few times with a friend, or on a trial membership. I have found several items that are more expensive at Sam's than Costco, but never the other way around. Also, Costco's return policy can't be beat. (they'll blacklist me one day for excessive returns...but until they do...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I have a Costo membership and the store is very convenient to me, but there are only 4 people in my family and we don't own a separate freezer, so some of those giant packages are overkill for us. Still, there are some great deals to be had. I was there yesterday and got some delicious salmon for dinner. We'll be having the leftovers tonight over salad and I suspect we still wont finish it. I'll confess that I do the bulk of my food shopping at Food Lion or Trader Joes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. We don't do Walmart either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco. We had both Costco and Sam's last year, and I decided not to renew Sam's this year. Costco has a better selection for the kinds of items we buy, either comparable or better prices, more organics, better quality, and great return policy. I also appreciate how well Costco treats its employees. We have a BJ's in our metro area but it's far enough away (and Costco is so close) that I've never given them a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 We belong to all three. I like Costco, but it's always incredibly crowded and their hours are short and inconvenient. BJ's used to be better until they started selling so much of their own brand of stuff, rather than the name brands. Our Sam's is a nice, bright, airy store and the selection is pretty good. I think all three are quite comparable in terms of pricing. If I was choosing between the three clubs, I would pick the one that was closest to my house and that had store hours that worked best for me. (In our case, are three are nearby, so we go to all of them.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I wish we had a Costco, but the closest one is 3 hours away. I don't like BJs, so we use Sam's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn121 Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I vote for Costco. of course we don't have a BJ's or a Sams to compare. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco! I know the greeters by name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 We only have Costco and Sam's here, so between the two, I would choose Costco. We had memberships at Sam's for years before Costco was built. We joined immediately and kept both memberships for a year or so. We dropped Sam's when we realized we didn't like shopping there anymore. Our Sam's is more expensive than the Wal-Mart across the street!! It was also 'blah' inside and somehow the lighting gave us headaches. Plus, Costco just has more of what we like to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I really think the only way to know which place to join (if any,) is to visit all of them and walk the aisles. You'll probably find that one of them seems to carry more of the stuff you buy on a regular basis, or is cleaner, or has a bigger selection, or whatever. In our area, there is also a difference in the items in one Costco store versus the stuff in another Costco store, so you really can't make a decision without seeing the actual stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Sam's Club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I really think the only way to know which place to join (if any,) is to visit all of them and walk the aisles. You'll probably find that one of them seems to carry more of the stuff you buy on a regular basis, or is cleaner, or has a bigger selection, or whatever. In our area, there is also a difference in the items in one Costco store versus the stuff in another Costco store, so you really can't make a decision without seeing the actual stores. Good suggestion. I don't really like my closest Costco (5 min away) but I don't want to drive to the one that's 25 minutes away so I suffer in silence. It's amazing that the 2 stores within 20 minutes of each other have a different clientele, different product mix, and different level of customer service. I actually had to complain to a supervisor about the poor service I got from one employee - so I guess I'm not exactly suffering in silence, right? We belong to all three. I like Costco, but it's always incredibly crowded and their hours are short and inconvenient. ... If I was choosing between the three clubs, I would pick the one that was closest to my house and that had store hours that worked best for me. (In our case, are three are nearby, so we go to all of them.) I agree; this is the one area that Sam's is better than Costco, the extended hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tearose Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Costco--better selection, more products that I buy. And as other people have said, great return policy. I was once in line behind an elderly lady returning a vase of wilted flowers. Now, maybe she really had bought those flowers a few days ago, but it looked really old. I think I'd be too embarrassed to return something like that, but the clerk didn't bat an eyelash. Sams (at least the 2-3 I've been to) just aren't as nice (I get a depressing vibe from them). No BJs near us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I think Costco has a better selection, but we shop at BJ's. Our Costco is so annoying to shop at, with long lines, overly crowded aisles, lack of good parking. I find it so stressful to go there that we never renewed. Even when BJ's is busy, the lines aren't horrendously long. Prices seem similar between the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 We belong to all three due to dh's business. He goes to Sam's the most because they most consistently have the products that he needs. I used to go to BJ's regularly because it is the closest to our home, but it's still a bit of a drive and any more I just go to Publix and Wal Mart which are very close. But I will say that what I like about Costco, though I rarely go there, is that they send their little coupon books out to you, but you don't need the physical coupon to get the discount--it rings up automatically. I love this! Don't know how many times I've been out by BJ's, only to realized that my neatly-clipped little stack of BJ's coupons (they do take manufacturer's coupons as well) is at home, where it doesn't do me any good. At Costco if there's a $3 off coupon (Starbucks Fraps, yum!), that's the price that shows when you buy it. I also found that they are extremely helpful and friendly at Costco, while employees at the other two seem pretty indifferent. Nice, and helpful if you need it, but not out-of-their way helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Costco. Plus, they have 1.50 foot long hot dogs and a soda for when you're done shopping. :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 We don't have BJ's out here, just Costco and Sam's. When we lived back East, I preferred BJ's to Costco because the BJ's had a gas station plus it accepted VISA cards (to take advantage of the "float"). Out here, Costco has the gas station while Sam's doesn't. However, after Safeway opened up their gas station 15 minutes closer to my house than Costco I let my membership expire. I wasn't shopping there enough due to the distance to make it worth the cost. However, I probably will renew it soon as we are going to need 4 new tires and their prices & road hazard warranty are worth the membership fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeachingTwins Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Costco. We have belonged to both Costco and Sam's. Costco just seems to have a better selection and better quality. We've also had some great experiences with Costco's return policy. I bought a swimsuit one size bigger than what dd was wearing late last summer, expecting it to fit her this year. She never wore it, and she grew too much to wear it this summer. We took it back last week, and they gave us a full refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 BJ's. I hate Costco because of their hours. What store only stays open until 7 pm during the week and 6 pm on sat and only 4 on Sunday? I hate Costco's as well because they are pricier, things are not well organized, and the staff is awful(can't blame them). And a friend of mine worked for them for 10 years and was in management, and the big wigs treat their employees like garbage. She went over to BJ's and loves it. JMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2TheTeam Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I've been to all 3. Costco is by far the one I prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 If I could only have one membership, it would be Sam's, no doubt about it. And that's because they have the absolutely best prices on eyeglasses and contact lenses, and an incredible warranty on their eyeglasses. Years ago, one of my sons had his glasses knocked off in a crowd, and they were stepped on before he could grab them. They were damaged beyond repair. We had purchased them 11-1/2 months earlier at Sam's Club. Because they were within the one year warranty period, we got a brand new pair of glasses at absolutely no cost to us. I was blessed to receive a gift membership to Costco at Christmas, and I am enjoying getting to know that store, too. Both pharmacies have some really good deals. In our state, anyway, one does not need a membership to buy prescriptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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