Costco, BJ or Sam's Club, which do you prefer and why?

[sscutchen]

We have Sam's everywhere. The nearest Costco is 30 miles away. So we tend to go to Sam's.

We don't get BJs here, which is a bummer.

[Phy]

[quote Effin Haole]I prefer a BJ over those places anytime.

But for shopping, give me Costco over any other type of "club" store.

Their liberal return policies along justify the relatively cheap membership fee.
I agree with Effin!
Don't forget that CostCo's gasoline prices are among the cheapest available.
And the return policy is great. I even have my hearing tests and eye tests done there. My contacts were far less expensive there than anywhere else.

I also do not shop at any Wal-Mart company stores.

[Baby Tats]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costco

Costco is noted for providing full benefits and comparatively generous compensation to its employees. For instance, a cashier with four years of experience can earn more than $40,000 with full benefits, including medical, dental, Rx, disability, and life, and is even entitled to participate in a 401k program and purchase stock options. Part-time employees hired after 2005 (approx. 50% of the store based workforce) and full-time employees are charged different amounts for benefits, and they lose all the benefits if they get laid off.[citation needed]

These perks are the highest in the industry and especially surprising considering Costco's price-centric sales strategy (similar to Wal-Mart's, a company criticized for its low pay and refusal to offer benefits to some employees). A recent estimate (New York Times, July 17, 2005) puts Costco's average pay at $17 per hour, or 42% higher than Wal-Mart-owned Sam's Club. Wall Street analyst Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank criticized Mr. Sinegal in 2004, saying "it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder." Sinegal counters that good wages and benefits more than pay for themselves by holding down employee turnover, reducing employee theft and by appealing to a certain percentage of affluent customers who appreciate that the low prices do not come at the workers' expense.

Also from http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/P110762.asp

Look at Costco Wholesale (COST, news, msgs), says Hodgson. The retailer’s stock is up 60% in the past two years. But Costco CEO James Sinegal earns $558,000 a year -- which looks like pocket change compared to the multiple millions of dollars our top-paid CEOs get. Sinegal is sitting on $22.6 million worth of exercisable options, which he has accumulated over more than a decade as CEO.

"I feel like I have been well rewarded," says Sinegal. He thinks keeping a lid on CEO base salary and bonus sends a signal that all employees are important. "If the CEO of a company is paid 10 to 12 times the highest hourly rate, that is probably pretty fair."


You can decide how important those things are to you. I am a member of Costco. I would never join Sams.

BT

[volcs0]

Costco is next door to BJs here (Dedham, MA).

We go to Costco.

[Grateful11]

Sam's is like 8 miles away, Costco is like 40 miles away. So it's Sam's for us but we don't
buy a whole lot there maybe $500 to $1000 a year.

[JoeBob]

Sams is more oriented to small business owners, I understand Costco is more retail oriented.
My parents have a small business, so we go there more often.
There will be a Costco opening in Raleigh pretty soon, so I might have to make the trek to check it out.

[Markintosh]

We don't get BJs here, which is a bummer.

I prefer a BJ over those places anytime.

I *loved* BJs.

Middle School bathroom humor. Gotta love it!

I'll add mine. The market for BJ's is untapped in California.

[wurm]

[quote Markintosh]We don't get BJs here, which is a bummer.

I prefer a BJ over those places anytime.

I *loved* BJs.

Middle School bathroom humor. Gotta love it!

I'll add mine. The market for BJ's is untapped in California.
I could have sworn it said: We don't get BJs here, which is a hummer.

[pRON aHOLIC]

[quote JoeBob]Sams is more oriented to small business owners, I understand Costco is more retail oriented.
My parents have a small business, so we go there more often.
There will be a Costco opening in Raleigh pretty soon, so I might have to make the trek to check it out.

Sam's club will sell to small business until the Walmart arm runs them out of business.

Here's only a tiny portions of what Walmart is doing and all taxpayers have to pay for.

22 states are currently proposing legislation that would force
companies such as Walmart to provide better health care to their
employees. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060301/ap_o...lth_care_1

Walmart costs US taxpayers billion each year in medicaid costs. They
make PROFITS in t he billions. That is NET not GROSS yet the CEO was
begging Governors to help them with health costs, pathetic.

Walmart reluctantly or does not carry legal birth control even if they
are the only pharamcy in town yet they carry ER pills such as viagra.
http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles...news11.txt

Walmart typically tops state assistance programs like in WV costing
taxpayers. http://wvgazette.com/section/Series/Wal-...2004122531

Walmart contibuted 20 billion to the record US trade deficit with
China in 2005 of 200 billion.

Walmart has to pay $172 million to workers they denied breaks to
http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/22/news/for...eref=yahoo

[pRON aHOLIC]

Oh, surprise surprise. Walmart is part of a cash pipeline of billions into China directly and here is what China's doing with it.


http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/23/pentago...index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- China's rapid military buildup could throw off the balance of power in Asia and threaten other countries in the region, according to a Pentagon report on China's military power.

The Pentagon's annual report to Congress says the country's consistent defense spending on aircraft, missiles and ships means China is ever closer to a longer-range military reach.

"Several aspects of China's military development have surprised U.S. analysts, including the pace and scope of its strategic forces modernization," the report says. "China's military expansion is already such as to alter regional military balances."