<p>I second "just"amom’s point about the type of corporation each store represents. One is good to its employees (decent wages/insurance) the other isn’t. </p>
<p>If the service/items/price are comparable – why not reward the more humane company with your business?</p>
<p>@MiamiDAP (post #10), </p>
<p>What is Grape Lief? I seem to be the only one here who’s clueless :o.</p>
<p>I’ve tried both and I like Costco. Both the Sam’s and Costco here are warehouse style - Sam’s is better lit w/wider aisles. But that’s where is stops for me. There seems to be more of the items that I shop for at Costco and they have the executive membership that gives us rebates. Our membership was free last year after the rebate. Also, I don’t know they still do this, but at Sam’s, the customer had to bag their own groceries. That was a turn off for me - but maybe they’ve changed!</p>
<p>Another happy switcher from Sam’s to Costco here, and I drive further to get to Costco.</p>
<p>Costco bags for you? Will they use bags you have brought in? Or do they force you to take the plastic? </p>
<p>At Sam’s, there are no bags- you must walk out with the cart filled so they can see what you have as they check the receipt. I usually bag up (using reusable bags) at the trunk of my car. In the Houston heat, this is not fun.</p>
<p>Costco, hands down:</p>
<ol>
<li> Costco’s prices are slightly better than Sam’s and Costco sends coupons to its members.</li>
<li> Costco’s overall selection and quality are better, IMO.</li>
<li> Costco’s Amex card is a great deal – no annual fee for the card, and you’ll get a 3% rebate on gasoline (and the gasoline at Costco is already the least expensive you’ll find anywhere), 2% rebate on travel, and 1% rebate on everything else that you buy. At the end of the year, you can apply your rebate to additional merchandise purchased at Costco or they’ll give you cash. If you use the card to pay for gasoline alone, over the course of a year your rebate will be more than enough to offset Costco’s annual membership fee.</li>
<li> Costco treats its employees very well – a living wage and excellent benefits, even for part-timers. I won’t shop at Sam’s (or Wal Mart) because they don’t value their employees. Costco realizes that they can treat their employees well and still provide great value to the consumer – I shop there not only because I like their goods, services and prices, but also because I respect their philosophy.</li>
</ol>
<p>pipmom - they don’t have ‘bags’; but they do put the stuff in your cart. I don’t know what they’d do if you brought your own bags in. Costco also checks your receipt against the number of items in your cart as you exit.</p>
<p>We also have both. If I was forced to give up one I would give up Sam’s and stay with Costco. I like the freedom of having both cards. Today I went to costco. I bought the Nonni’s Biscotti that we love with our morning coffee. Yes, Sam’s club also has nonni’s biscotti but it dosen’t have the large chocolate pack that Costco does (with the chocolate on the bottom AND drizzled over the top).</p>
<p>Aw, Seiclan, why did you have to mention those biscotti?</p>
<p>Hands down, Costco.</p>
<p>Costco automatically extends the warranty on flat screen tvs to two years and they have a 90 day return policy on them as well. </p>
<p>In our market they have an excellent wine department with a huge selection and knowledgeable people working in it. The longer they have been open, choices have gotten broader and deeper and they have moved decidedly upscale with a lot of their wines though they still have an incredible selection in the $8-10 range.</p>
<p>At the holidays they bring in a number of specialty vendors with really yummy gourmet items.</p>
<p>As others have said it is brighter, cleaner and the people who work there are very friendly and helpful. </p>
<p>Lastly, it’s hard to support the Walton family when they have put so many of America’s small family owned businesses out of business. The way they treat their vendors is deplorable. After enormously difficult price negotiations they then ask manufacturers to eliminate the rep commissions and use them to further reduce prices then demand that the reps still service their stores.</p>
<p>I drive past a new upscale prototype WalMart to go to Target and the minute Costco opened stopped going to Sam’s.</p>
<p>I LOVE Costco! Yes, it’s 5 minutes from my house, but I love it wherever we drive to it! My mom has a Sam’s membership so when I want anything there, I can go with her, but we both prefer the selection and very cheery and helpful employees at Costco. Their return policy is MUCH better than Sam’s as well. I especially like the Costco in our neighborhood, tho I will drive to others as well, as needed. The neighborhood one is amazing–they are very cheerful about refunds, no matter whether you have the original box, receipt or not. They are also happy to give you coupon books and provide excellent customer service. I love their optical department, who cleans and repairs your glasses, no questions asked, no matter where you purchased them from! They also give you a free glasses case if you need one.</p>
<p>Their produce generally seems fresher and the clothes seem to be more brand name–Dockers, Gloria Vanderbilt, etc., generally (I purchase a lot of my slacks from them).</p>
<p>I have on occasion bought an item or two from Sam’s that Costco doesn’t have (cardstock and soup base), but generally prefer the merchanise and staff at Costco. Have never chosen to join Sam’s. Of our extended family, ALL of us are Costco members while only about 1/2 of us are Sam’s members.</p>
<p>No choice here- only Sam’s. Went to a California Costco once, much bigger, more stuff. However- I wonder if there are smaller and larger Costco stores (our Sam’s enlarged once) in different markets, and if produce is region dependent? Curious as it is only hypothetical for me.</p>
<p>Actually, yes, there are “full-size” Costcos and some that are smaller because of size constraints. The one which is 5-minutes from our house is a “smaller” neighborhood one, but because it was so successful, it was expanded. The one nearer the downtown area is a full-size one with a nearby Costco gas station. It happens to be the highest earning Costco in the world–scary thought!</p>
<p>I prefer Costco because it is much more “ethical” in the treatment of its employees unlike WalMart. WalMart is getting better but primarily because of the bad publicity it has recieved. </p>
<p>Plus at WalMart you often get what you pay for. I would never buy clothes there. The quality is often less than poor.</p>
<p>Costco, Costco, Costco; did I mention Costco!!</p>
<p>I do run into Sam’s when I am in the area where the Sam’s is as my husband’s office has a Sam’s membership. I will check prices there when I am looking for electronics, but still have purchased at Costco every time. The only big item I can think of that I bought at Sam’s was the full season of West Wing; a very good purchase!</p>
<p>Maybe it is the areas both my Sam’s and Costco are in, but it seems to me I see more families at Costco and more businesses at Sam’s. You can tell by what people are buying and when someone leaves with 20 cases of can drinks and 10 packages of paper towels, one can assuming they are not shopping for home!</p>
<p>Around here, Costco is newer, cleaner and better. There is a Sam’s that is not as new and as convenient to me, so I rarely go there. When I do, it’s with a friend who has a card there and I am just there for company. There are always a few things there that do catch my eye, and I will buy while I’m there with a friend, but I’ve never felt the desire to go back on my own. </p>
<p>As others have said, you can get a one day pass to check it out. Or like I do, go with someone who has a pass. If it is worth while for you, then join. I know some folks for whom it just is not worthwhile to join either store since the savings just doesn’t add up for them. They just go with friends who are members or not go at all.</p>
<p>I do like Costco but I’d like to remind everyone here to remember the local farmers and merchants in all of our towns and cities. I am buying my meat and fish from our local people in this economy. I am trying to go to family owned and independent restaurants too. I avoid big corporate restaurants like the plague. Remember that we are going into the season for fresh veggies and fruits with the local farmers market.</p>
<p>jmmom, "What is Grape Lief? I seem to be the only one here who’s clueless " - it is part of all that mideterian food that we like, like hummus, falafel. It is rice with meat, wrapped in grape liaf. We used to get it in restaurant, tried hummus, falafel at Costco and it was much better quality and tons cheaper.</p>